Slayers: Clouds!
by Incantrix
Summary: The novel continues after more than a year! A friend betrays, so what's Lina going to do? The secrets of the Cloudminders revealed... The continuing grand adventure...
1. Chapter 1: Run! Attack of the Hungry Mob...

---o--o--o---  
  
  
Disclaimer fun!  
  
Ok, usual peanuts. I don't have any money. Well, not really...All characters in this work are owned by Kadokawa Shoten. The author of this fan fiction therefore only owns the writings. Oh, and to those people who gave me permission to use their handles...well, you did give me permission....right? This copyright is 2001-2003 (that's right!) under Devin A. Brown.  
  
UPDATED - 11/02/02 - I've gone over some the earlier chapters and edited a little for grammar and such. One of the chapters wasn't even edited at all (how did THAT happen o.O) Either way, it should be quite readable now... :p  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Scene: Old 19th Century Playhouse in Paris  
  
[Lina] Well, maybe an introduction is in order. Let's see! {breaks out scroll that rolls endlessly onto the floor} Once, a long time ago...in a land far, far away...{looks up in disgust} Bah, never mind. I'm not good at this stuff. {Tosses scroll off-stage} Let's just see what kind of trouble I can get into!  
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
Slayers: Clouds!  
  
Chapter 1:  
Run! Attack of the Hungry Mob!  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Ohhh...this is so good." Lina was holding up three slices of bacon in her left hand as she ate a fourth piece from her right hand. Cepheid forbid she was going to leave to food on the plate. Lina only knew if Gourry had his chance, he would have taken it by now.  
  
"Ymmm," she exclaimed, as she shot an entire crisp piece into her mouth. Still holding onto the other bacon strips, Lina reached across the table in front of Zelgadis and Amelia, grabbing the last morning biscuit. In between alternate bits of bacon and bread, the sorcerer did managed to say a few more words.   
  
"So, Gourry, don't you think we should order another round?"  
  
"No fair!" Gourry's hands were filled with cooked sausage and toast, there would be no way for him to grab to last morsel for himself.   
  
As Lina popped the last treat into her mouth, she could practically hear Gourry's whimper at the lack of food in front of him.   
  
"So, Zel, its your turn. I've kind of thinking of heading towards Atlas City; you know, to sell some of my latest bandit finds." Behind the redhead was a rather large canvas bag, filled with artwork she had 'collected' in the last couple of days. "I, for once, am getting tired of robbing bandits all the time. All this fricken' stuff is hard to drag around!"  
  
The sorcerer refused to leave her valuables in her room, instead she took them everywhere for safekeeping. Never trust a maid, only yourself, was her current motto.   
  
This time, her treasure sack had become quite cumbersome, the catch had grown to almost the size of herself. Not that it mattered, since Lina did none of the lifting...   
  
"Heh, what do you think I've been doing the last three days." exclaimed the swordsman, pinching his back while wincing in pain. If the sorcerer didn't have Gourry's help her this time, it would have been a REAL bitch for her to get around.   
  
"Ehm..." sighed the chimera. It was apparent that Zelgadis was not interested in Lina's latest conversation. "I was thinking of the Lain Mountains to the northwest." Zelgadis had finished off his breakfast of orange juice and waffles, his silverware neatly crisscrossing his perfectly clean single plate. "Some ancient tomes were just uncovered by a few bad weather storms. Hopefully, there are some secrets that were uncovered as well."  
  
Gourry looked from his half-filled plate of food, then at his fork with a sausage on its end. He swallowing the last link from sight, as if dunking the beast into his mouth. "Hmmm..."  
  
"Maybe we could head in that direction, all of us." Amelia looked over Gourry distastefully at his table manners. Never in her life would her father allow for such beast at his royal table. She turned to Zelgadis was has already daintily eaten his portions of breakfast in moderation and smiled. At least there was one thing she wouldn't have to teach...  
  
"Gourry, do you have anything to say?"  
  
"I'm knt 'inished hewen my food." Gourry was quickly trying to eat the last three pieces of toast in his hand. Unfortunately, the toast was drawing his mouth for refreshments, for the swordsman could no longer speak clairvoyant words. "Autr! Autr!"  
  
Lina reached around her chair, swiping a water jug from the server's tray. She quickly passed the pitcher of water to Gourry.  
  
"Baka! What the hell are you doing stuffing yourself!" Instead of pouring the water into Gourry's empty glass, she tipped the filled pitcher toward Gourry's awaiting mouth.  
  
"Burb...Glub...Glurb..."  
  
"More water, Gourry dear?"  
  
Gourry tried to shake his head from side-to-side. No avail. Lina was applying enormous pressure with the her arms, making sure the water pitcher was tightly attached to the swordsman's chin.   
  
"....GLOB!...."  
  
"Yes sir! Weellll, here you go!" Lina tilted the pitcher up at a crazy angle. The swordsman's only gut reaction was to grab both side of the jug and down the water as fast as possible.  
  
"....GLOB!...GLOB!...aaachhhh!" The blond dropped the empty pitcher on the table as it rattled into place. Lina stared at the empty water jug, amazed that Gourry has downed the water so fast.  
  
"Training camp for swords. Nothing but guys around," said Gourry.  
  
"WHA?" Lina's jaw hit the table.   
  
The rest of the group eyed Gourry warily.  
  
"Oh," finished the swordsman. "I meant for drinking games!"  
  
"Itia!" Lina punched the blond hard and unexpectedly backwards. The blond idiot landed firmly on his back, his chair tipping over from the fall. The rest of the group could hear Gourry's stomach lurch like a full skein of water.  
  
"Anoo" The blond bishie made a grab at his tummy.   
  
The innkeeper came scurrying over to his fallen customer. He looked down at the fallen swordsman as his facial expression turned from shock to distaste.   
  
"I think you had better keep this place together, fella." He was a rather pasty fellow, fat and balding, easily more than twice the age of the great petite Lina Inverse.   
  
"Ummm, yea." Gourry was rubbing his behind. "I'll watch out..." Gourry quickly sprang to his feet, easily surviving the fall. However, Gourry's chair had not been so lucky.  
  
"Biru, you baka. Be careful next time, otherwise..." The innkeeper looked down at where Gourry had landed -- and found his piece of furniture in broken pieces. "I don't believe this..." he muttered, picking up the mess of wood.   
  
Gourry found another chair and had already made himself at home, eating away his next breakfast course like nothing had happened.  
  
"Ehm..." commented Biru, holding up a broken chair leg for all to see. "You stupid kids."  
  
"Sorry about that...we'll be glad to-" Amelia was quickly clammed up by Lina, as the redhead tightened her grip around the princess's mouth.  
  
"Heh, kids say the darnest thing, don't they?" Lina batted her eyelids at Biru while her hands were busy. "We should really teach them to respect their elders."  
  
"MnnnnnPHPHHP! mmm go of mmm!" Amelia tried to struggle in her seat, but Lina was a strong one.  
  
"She get a bit hyperactive at times," said Zel, "so we give Amelia dear a good swift beating every once in a while." The chimera winked at the little princess to cover his tracks, but is was apparent that the shrine maiden was not amused.  
  
"MMPPPHH!!!"  
  
"Hai, isn't she sweet." Lina's words were not exactly soothing to the innkeeper's ears. "And she cooks and cleans so well!"  
  
Biru really didn't care for the theatrics, he want wanted the table to turn over to some other normal customers. "Here you go," he exclaimed as he tossed the check face-down on the table.   
  
Nobody reached for it.  
  
"It's your turn, Amelia." snapped Lina.  
  
"No way! Justice is not made of MONEY!"  
  
The sorcerer turned and squarely looked at the blond swordsman as she purred.   
  
"Ummm." It was fun to hear if Gourry could make an excuse on the spot. It was sure to be a doozy. "I paid of for last night's feast. Those ribs were really good. Don't you remember?"   
  
Lina sweat dropped. "How could you not forget paying for last night!"  
  
Gourry looked up at the sorcerer. "Easy." Reaching for his waist and pulling it up, Gourry plopped his coin purse onto the table. Instead of the usual sound of jingling coins against the table, the bag collapsed on itself silently.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Lina," said the chimera, "I would look to see who has the most money with them right now."   
  
"Well, in that case..." She took a look back at chimera, who was pulling the lint out of his pockets.   
  
It hit her like a ton of bricks as the rest of them eyed Lina and her huge sack of prized treasures. "Fine." She picked up the check and turned it over. As soon as she focused on the addition of the numbers, her eyes were as large as dinner plates.   
  
"What!!" Lina couldn't stop breathing as she took in the total of the bill. She flipped the bill back down onto the table. "We're splitting this equally."  
  
"No! Justice demands that you fairly pay this bill. That is your duty!, Lina!" Amelia stood up on her chair, even if there didn't seem to be much of a height difference to the rest of the group. It certainly sagged their faces as well as getting the attention of the other customers.   
  
The chimera eyed Lina carefully as he spoke. "Take a look at how many plates of food we ate compared to you two." Zelgadis was clearly comparing the stacks of plates and bowls of finished food in front of Gourry and Lina with the single empty plates in front of Amelia and himself. "You did learn to add at one point."  
  
She swiped the check back into her hand. "Hm. Fine!" Lina was fumed that she would have to pay the entire amount. It was that second look at the bill that the sorcerer noticed something quite particular.  
  
"IIIEEE! In the name of Cepheid!" The redhead was breathing awfully heavy as she sang into an ugly tirade. "Innkeeper! Get over here!"  
  
Biru was well aware the screams from the far table as he came over to Lina. "It's 'Biru,' Ms. Inverse. I have told you that a few times already." More than enough already, for the old guy was tired of replacing is own furniture and inn for that matter.  
  
"OK, Biru." Lina spat, pointing to a particular in her bill for the innkeeper to see. "What in the world is that!"  
  
"That's Inverse tax, ma'am."   
  
Lina turned white. "Whaaa! Do you have a death wish!"  
  
Biru sweat dropped as the rest of Lina's group huddled ever so closer. "For every time you've been to my inn, you're had little 'accidents' each and every time. Today, it's a chair. Yesterday was a new roof. A week ago, a enraged group of thieves decided to ambush you during your lunch time. I'm still cleaning out the fireplace since you decided to give someone the 'hotfoot' treatment!"  
  
The customers behind Biru laughed. "Hey! They ruined my lunch! And you should be thankful that I come back here." She threw the check back down on the table once again. "I'm not paying your stupid little charge. No way!"   
  
"What makes you think that you're not going to pay for your stupid little parties!" said Biru. "I say it's time to play up!"   
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Did you really have to do that?" Amelia was huffing and puffing from her run; more than covered with fine soot from Lina's fireball explosion. "Aaaagh!" Looking at her clothes only royally pissed herself off, the new outfit were now road-worn and dirty.   
  
"Yea, so." Lina as usual had managed to get out of the inn without a scratch. That could not be said for the rest of the party.  
  
"Well, next time, leave your fireballs away," said Zelgadis. "Maybe we should be blessed for your time of the month."  
  
Lina quickly evil-eyed the chimera before looking up the path. As they crossed over another larger hill, they stopped to catch their breaths.   
  
Behind them, the chatter of the approaching crowd was quickly catching up. Men and women, young and old, were after them like a group possessed. The a couple of diners still had their dinner napkins tucked in their shirts. In their hands were serving forks and knives, ready for action.  
  
"Wow, those diners are pissed," Gourry announced flatly.  
  
"Noodle for brains," said Lina, turning to the rest of the group. "Let's get the hell out of here!"   
  
They took off to flee from the avenging diners. Amelia was running as fast as her little legs could carry her, but it wasn't quite fast enough. She didn't see the tree root by her foot, causing her fall to the ground with a flat thud.  
  
"Zel! Lina!"  
  
Zelgadis and Lina turned around as soon as they heard the fallen cries from the princess. "Amelia! Are you ok?" The group circled back to Amelia's fallen position, they could see the crowd approaching very, very quickly. Lina looked up and shot them a 'don't mess with me' look to no avail.  
  
"Don't hurt them," said Amelia, "they're only upset that Biru passed his Inverse tax on them as well."  
  
"Oh, yeah?" said the sorcerer, prepping for a spell I won't hurt them....that much!" stammered Lina.  
  
"Or maybe it's because you charred their food into ashes...hmmm?"   
  
"BOMB DI WIND!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
It was close to dark when they reached the next sign of civilization. When they crossed the last hill, the town that was suppose to be there was no longer a small hamlet but a small bustling city. Torches and controlled flames lit up most of the valley in a spectacular in then. Around the other limits of the small metropolitan were well-guarded ivory walls.  
  
"Eh! What happened to the little hamlet of Monte Darlo!" asked Lina. "It used to have this nice little inn that made the best stew for miles around."  
  
"Hmmm....." answered Zelgadis. "I haven't been here in years, but I think they made some improvements. The little town grew up."  
  
Gourry wasn't using his eyes, but his nose. He could no longer contain himself as his tongue hung out of his mouth like an old sheepdog. "Lina, you smell that wonderful odor?"  
  
"Yea, I smell it too. I didn't think it was possible, but I think they improved one thing!" Lina was already thinking about it before her words reached her ears. "And its not a little bit of food to be sure. Let's go!"   
  
As they approached the city gates, the traveling party was stopped at the entrance guard from Monte Darlo. The fierce man wore a black cowl, costume and dark complexion immediately scared Amelia.   
  
The huge muscled man looked like he has just left executioners convention: his right hand held a five foot axe -- the color as black as the sea of chaos, its surface reflective like the sun's rays on a clear cloudless day.   
  
"Halt!" The guard tipped forward to get a good look at the group. "The rules to enter are very simple. No swords. No knives. You leave your weapons here!" He pointed the sharp front tip of his axe to the sign. "No magic staffs, wands, and talismans of any kind!"   
  
Lina was furious. "Who do you think you're talking to, buddy? I'm not giving up my talismans for anyone. There's no way." Lina broke out her fists in a bit of a mock-up at the guard. "Got that?"  
  
"Ummm, Lina," said Amelia, "are you sure he's going to listen to you? After all, I think his ax is taller than you."  
  
Instead on looking down on pint-sized Lina, the huge man blinked his eyes, the whites easily flashing under the black cowl. He was no longer paying attention to the diminutive sorcerer, but to the chimera behind her.  
  
"Mr. Zelgadis?..." answered the giant of a man. "Is that you?"  
  
The chimera pushed Lina out of the way with his hand, to get a closer look at the guard. "Little Timothy?"   
  
Lina and Amelia facefaulted.  
  
The scary face complexion of the dark guard was immediately lifted away. His hands quickly pulled off his black cowl, revealing the face of a young man. He wasn't cruel and insufferable, but the face of a cubby that was bit distorted in features from bad teeth. Yet, his expression was full of love and the warmth of a youngster.  
  
"Mr. Zelgadis! It IS YOU!" rushed Timothy. His voice was excited like a schoolboy, much more high-pitched and friendly than from the interrogation mode before. The guard hugged the chimera, he lifted Zelgadis into the air, swinging him around like a children's rag-doll.  
  
"...Timothy...*gruff*" Zel's eyes bulged from the intense squeeze around his midsection.  
  
"ITS BEEN SO LONG!"   
  
Amelia could swear the big guy was crying.   
  
".....put me d'wn...." Zelgadis was turning a bit more blue than his usual self, if at all possible.  
  
"MY DADDY IS GOING TO BE SO HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU!"  
  
"...TIMOTHY-CHAN!!"  
  
The now inconspicuous guard put down Zelgadis in front of Lina. "That's better, Timothy." The chimera straightened out his cape and shirt as Timothy continued to stare down at his long-lost friend.  
  
"...sorry."  
  
"Very good." Zelgadis bleeped.  
  
"OK, Mr. Zelgadis!" It didn't stop master Timothy from patting the top of Zel's stony hairdo like a puppy dog.  
  
"....Timothy!" growled the chimera. "I'm not a rabbit!"  
  
"Oh, that's right," said the guard. He crossed his feet in slight shame. "....sorry."  
  
Zelgadis didn't have a chance to see what the rest of his companions were doing. A quick turn of the head revealed it: the whole group hysterical, grabbing their tummies while recovering from bouts of laughing. Even Amelia was on the ground, still giggling with fits of laughter.  
  
"Little Timothy...hehehe...that's so kawaii!"  
  
"That's not funny," frowned Zelgadis. "I suggest we follow Timothy's directions if we expect to get into Monte Darlo."  
  
Lina buttoned her lips closed. She politely stepped to the side while rolled up her sleeves in earnest. "Oh really," as she eyed Timothy. "Then who's going to make me?"   
  
Timothy spun the battle axe over in his head like it was a pole without its metallic end. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but that's is the rule here."  
  
The sorcerer glared up. "Ma'am? Do you think I'm old."  
  
"Why, yes! I do!"  
  
"FLARE ARR-" Zelgadis covered Lina's mouth before the sorcerer could complete the spell of destruction.   
  
The chimera proceeded to point out the rest of the group his former acquaintance. "Sorry, Timothy. Its just that its her time to be grouchy."   
  
"...hmmmmm!" Lina flapped her loose arms like a moth to no avail.  
  
"Heh," said Zel, "That's Amelia over there and Gourry behind me." The guard watched as Zel's introduction had each of his friend waving off. "Oh, as you can see, I'm holding onto one Lina Inverse. She's just a bit sensitive about these types of things. Aren't you, Lina?"  
  
Timothy nodded an affirmative.  
  
"She is very happy to meet you...at least that what I can understand" The chimera was having a hard time controlled the petite redhead in his grasps.  
  
"...ummmmeph...."  
  
Timothy scratched his head. "I'm sure."  
  
"Excuse me," asked Amelia, approaching from the side, "Why do we need to leave our weapons outside?"  
  
"Miss Amelia," exclaimed Timothy as he switched into tourist mode. "The city of Monto Darlo is a destination resort. As a magnificent destination, we offer the finest gambling houses in all lands-"  
  
Lina managed to squirm unexpectedly out of the chimera grasp -- not in anger but on sheer excitement. "Gambling! Did you say gambling!" Gourry and Lina eyes were wide as serving plates. Poor Timothy could not understand.  
  
"Gambling? Yeah...we've got that.." said Timothy. "The finest slots in the land, with as many as a hundred blackjack and cards games. We also have inn rooms, a spa, and--"   
  
Zelgadis finished little Timothy's with this description. "Yes, and food. Restaurants. Fine Dining establishments. And most of all-"  
  
"I know! I know!" Lina's voice was about to reach new heights.  
  
"That means..." Amelia chimed in now, for her tongue lapped out of her mouth like a hungry puppy dog. "Unlimited. All you can eats. A buffet line that stretches for miles. I remember when we went to Las Vega and didn't leave for three days-"  
  
"FFFFFOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDD!!!!"   
  
As is right on, Lina and Gourry were zombies, their mouths were watering like soda fountains. The swordsman tossed his sword hazardly to Timothy and strolled right in. Lina was right behind the blond, unclasping her four demon talismans, blindly handing them to the guard. She couldn't even wait that long, zipping around Gourry to get into town first. Amelia followed the two like a puppy following its master, walking on air past Timothy. The three of them would have deserted the Claire Bible if it meant getting into Monte Darlo and its buffet lines.  
  
"I guess we're going in," said Zelgadis as he unbuckled his sword, dropping it into Timothy's large hands. "We'll catch you inside sometime."  
  
"Hai!" waved the guard. "See you soon!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Wow, I don't think I could eat another bite!" Lina padded her stomach; just by the very feel it seemed to be a bit larger.   
  
"Really, Lina, they didn't have to beg us to leave." Gourry's stomach growled as it were half-hungry, even though it was the size of a small house. "They said if we stopping eating, that they wouldn't charge us. How about that!"  
  
"Ahhh, that poor restaurant. I've never been able to turn down a free meal.   
  
"In that case," said Amelia, "we'll get a snack at some other place. Its only fair."  
  
Zel watched his friend waddle like ducks down the street, sweatdropping all the way.  
  
The four of them took attention to the rest of Monte Darlo. While parading on the crowded streets, the nighttime was surrounded by the unnatural candles and torches of all the buildings. It was as if the daytime was occurring. It was so one could read the signs and posters displayed everywhere. Some of the larger casinos even had wizards flashing fireworks and light spells in the air, trying to attract customers into their establishment.  
  
Lina looked over one billboard. "Bleah, who's this Turnip character? It's like his face and name is everywhere!" exclaimed the sorcerer. "Heh, it's like he owns this town!" It every possible sight direction was a poster or sign for 'Turnip's' casino, a giant image of himself showboating with sacks of coins in the background. It was as if he wasn't just showing off the casino, but how rich he was as well.  
  
"So, what do we do now?" asked Amelia.  
  
"Leave. This is a disgusting place." Zelgadis was clearly unhappy to be around. "I wouldn't mind parking somewhere outside this artificial city."  
  
"But I wanted to stick around for breakfast!" wined Amelia.  
  
"Well, I've still got all this bandit loot with me." Lina eyed the canvas bag of goodies that Gourry was carrying effortlessly for her. "I'm going to hit the pawn shops and sell this stuff. After all, these stores are open all night!"  
  
"Yea, to supply the gamblers a way get even poorer," answered Zelgadis.  
  
"Doesn't matter to me. I'm sure to get a good price for the whole lot of it." The sorcerer turned towards the closest shop. "Why don't you meet us on that casino floor," said Lina, pointing easily to the largest building in Monte Darlo, aptly named 'Turnip Towers'.   
  
"Whatever." The chimera crossed his arms. "In one hour."  
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
The floor of the casino was huge. There were at least fifty gaming tables of blackjack, craps, poker, and several other gambling games going on. It looked like cheap thrills, which immediately turned the chimera off.  
  
The casino crowd was indeed a strange mix. Some of the were quite wealthy, they stuck out like sore thumbs dressed in silk suits and other expensive dress ware. But the rest of them were a rough bunch. Zelgadis could tell they were mostly bandits, mercenaries and professional fighters, mixed with an occasional freelancing sorcerer.  
  
It was going to be impossible to find Lina in the next hour.   
  
"Zelgadis," quietly said Amelia as she held the arm of the stony man, "It's a bit scary in here. I mean, who would go to such a place?"  
  
"We're fine, Amelia." The chimera scanned the audience on the floor for familiar faces. Members of the jagged dagger bandit group were seated at the roulette table. A few dressed chaotic woman sorcerers were playing blackjack, their outfits more than revealing. He could tell the dealer was having to time of his life. Zelgadis decided to look over in the opposite direction by the craps table.  
  
"Oops...heheh, pardon me. Hey, you're a cute one." After been pumped, Amelia looked up to find herself face-to-face with a rather older man. She could tell that the stranger once had wild red colored hair that was now gray from age and wear. He was almost two feet taller than Amelia, but as thin as a rail with slumping shoulders, a weathered dirty face, and hollowed eyes. Amelia outweighed him by only a few pounds.  
  
"Leave her alone." Zelgadis stuck himself between the two of them. "Get out of here. Now!"  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry..." The old guy pulled his arms off Amelia's waist while he continued to look down. "Heh...uhm...how clumsy. Thoth is my name here, but everyone calls me mad Thoth."  
  
"I think you had better be on your way, Thoth," Zelgadis stammered.  
  
"Oh, yes, yes indeed. Oh, I can't believe I did that. Stupid me." Thoth looked down at Amelia again. "Sorry about that cutie." He polity bowed as he turned around and walked behind them.  
  
Amelia was startled for a sec but she quickly regained her balance. When she did get her senses back, Zelgadis knew something was up.   
  
"My wrist bracelet." It was clear she was referring to her left bracelet, the one with a blue ball and a white star that the chimera had 'conveniently' borrowed. "It's missing! I must have dropped it during our chase here."  
  
Zelgadis turned and growled.  
  
"THOTH!!"  
  
"...oh dear!" The old man tried to run, but he scarcely got twenty yards in the crowd before Zelgadis caught up to him.  
  
"Oh my...why hello stony!"  
  
"Don't call me stony! Its Mr. Zelgadis to you."  
  
"Oh, did Mr. Thoth do something....ummm....wrong?"  
  
"YES! I would say so!" Zelgadis has grabbed the poor gentleman by the dirty neck collar and threatened to lift the poor guy off the floor and throw him. "WHERE IS IT?"   
  
"Where's what, blue?" spoke Thoth, in a raspy voice.  
  
"Grrrrr....." He shoved the old man into a high chair at an empty blackjack table. "Amelia's bracelet, you one-bit thief for brains." Zelgadis was practically breathing down Thoth's neck.   
  
"You know fella, you got some really powerful breath there. How about a mint?" Thoth reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out an unwrapped red candy piece.   
  
"No, thank you!" The chimera sniffed coldly, for he could barely tell it was candy since it was covered with dirt and lint. Instead, the candy piece fell needlessly to the ground.  
  
"Now, look what you did. It took me five dumpsters to find that piece."  
  
"Hand it over, NOW!"  
  
A voice behind them interrupted the chimera's interrogation. "Please put down the gentleman, sir."  
  
Zelgadis turned behind his shoulder to find two rent-a-guards from Turnip Towers. The guards were dressed in identical dark blue suits. Each of them flanked Amelia on either side, armed with mini-crossbows dangling around their waist.  
  
"He took her bracelet," explained the chimera.  
  
One of the security guards came over. "Come on, Mad Thoth, how about you give back the bracelet."  
  
"No!" The old man violently shook.  
  
"I suggest you do, *MAD* Thoth, otherwise you may not be mad for much longer." Zelgadis was about to reach back with his fist when Amelia stopped him.  
  
"Justice doesn't do this, Zelgadis. Justice is fair."  
  
"Heh, perhaps I'll reconsider..."  
  
Amelia wandered up to Thoth, her eyes on the old man. "Why did you take my bracelet?" as she pulled the fixture of her desire out of Thoth's hands  
  
"I'm hungry. I could have pawned it for a few copper coins for dinner. "  
  
Unsurprised by the answer, Amelia has already reached into her purse and pulled out a few copper coins of her own. "Please, be careful. Thoth." Placing the coins into Thoth's hands, she turned to the surprised guards. "Please, do no press charges against this man. There is no justice in imprisoning the hungry."  
  
"Yes, ma'am." responded the rend-a-guards as they retreated back into the crowd.  
  
"Why, thank you, ma-am. I am in debt to you."  
  
Amelia slightly blushed. "Oh, there's no need..."  
  
Zelgadis took a step closer.  
  
"Oh well, gotta go, I need to make the early-dinner buffet." And Thoth quickly made himself scarce.  
  
"Good riddance." Zelgadis just glared to where the old man had once stood.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Lina and Gourry were already in the casino mulling around. But it was clear to that Lina was royalty peeved.   
  
"I can't believe they only gave me 200 gold coins for that stuff. I mean, it was worth at least three times as much! Damn this city, this place is a sellers market because everyone needs money to supply their gambling habits."  
  
"Hai."  
  
"I don't know why I didn't blast them. Oh yeah, that's right. Cause I wouldn't then have any money!"  
  
Lina and Gourry were now smack-dab in the middle of the casino floor of Turnip Towers, taking in all the cheep thrills. "Would you look at this place? All this riffraff. I bet there are some wanted men around here!"  
  
"Uh-huh. And those chaotic women sorcerers are kinda hot!"  
  
Lina slapped Gourry in the head a bit harder than usual. "Baka! You hentai, pay attention to me for once."  
  
"Ummm, ok." But Gourry was not looking at her.  
  
"Do you know who I am?" Lina flashed up her arms in attempt to flash her blood talisman on her wrist. Is was then she realized they weren't there because 'little Timothy' was holding onto them.  
  
"Yea, you're Lina!"  
  
Lina blandly looked at Gourry distastefully. No, this wasn't working for her right now. She really didn't want to deal with it right now, but sometimes it was amazing what she had put up in the last year. Hmmm, she wondered....  
  
"Goodie! I won!"  
  
"Huh!" exclaimed Gourry. "I thought I..."  
  
"Yea, you did!" exclaimed Lina as they ran to the nearby craps table with Gourry close behind. "Over here."  
  
And then they saw her. She was handling a large stash of at least several hundred chips as she barked out her orders to the casino minions. "15 pieces on the nine, and 2 pieces on the hard eight. And you better keep those winnings on the pass line."  
  
"Yes, ma'am! It's your turn at the dice again! Point is six."  
  
The female shooter rolled.  
  
"Six! Winna!" flatly announced the head attendant, nodding his head.  
  
"I won again!" shouted the shrine maiden.  
  
"Sylphiel?" asked a surprised Lina as the dark-haired on gathered her chips up. "Sylphiel Nels Lahda, what in Cepheid's name are you doing here!"   
  
"Oh, Lina! Gourry dear! How nice to see you!" She didn't seem at all surprised by her circumstances as she quietly rolled the shoot.  
  
Lina and Gourry looked at each other, shocked as hell.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
[Lina] What! You're going to end it here! Are you nuts!  
  
[Author] Heh? Haven't you heard? I like to end on a cliffhanger... :p  
  
[Lina] Oh yeah, well then...FLARE ARROW!  
  
[Author] Eeeep!  
  
  
---o--o--o--- 


	2. Chapter 2: Deal! Time to get Blackjack!

---o--o--o---  
  
  
[Lina] I think you had better explain yourself, sister! I can't believe you're here! Now, tell me what is going on!  
  
[Sylphiel] Umm...maybe because... Sore wa himitsu desu! {puts finger on her lips}  
  
[Xellos] {pops in behind Sylphiel, and gooses her} My dear, I believe you're learning...  
  
[Lina] Wha?! You're going to copy his move as well!   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Slayers: Clouds!  
  
Chapter 2:  
Deal! Time to get Blackjack!  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Zelgadis growled. He'd rather be curled up in an inn with glass of merlot and a good book right now, but no! He had to be stuck in this 'fairy' land of card games and characters.   
  
Amelia, on the other hand, seemed to be having to time of her life as she looked at all the action. Gee, she had been to Las Vega before. And it looked like it when she dragged the chimera to the blackjack table.  
  
"Look, I'm going to play a few rounds. I love blackjack. After all, Daddy doesn't have to know...right?" Amelia looked at him with her patented puppy dog eyes. And the chimera even surprised himself when he didn't say no.  
  
Still, Zelgadis grumbled as they sat down in two empty seats at the blackjack table. He was in no mood to play.  
  
"Here are some coins, Zelgadis. Come on, it will be fun!" The princess was doing her best to cheer him up.   
  
Damn! Where are Lina and Gourry, thought the chimera. When I get my hands on those two-  
  
"Sir, you have 11. Would you like a hit?"  
  
Zelgadis looked up from his slumber to see that he had a 7 and a 4 card. The dealers up card was showing a seven. Without a doubt, he motioned for another card.  
  
"Are you sure-" asked Amelia, but Zelgadis had already turned to the princess with a look that could light firewood. "Don't you want to-"  
  
For never playing this adult game, Amelia sure knew the rules of blackjack pretty damn well.  
  
"And a 10, sir."  
  
"You go!" It was apparent that even Amelia could not be down for long after her four-card bust.  
  
"Dealer has 17. Congratulations, sir."  
  
And for once, the chimera smiled inside as he pocketed his winning coins into a stack, even to the chagrin of Amelia.  
  
"You're going to play again." Amelia was tugging on his arm to get him to ante up, clearly trying to lighten his spirits into enjoying the game of chance.  
  
And Zelgadis played on, even surprising Amelia.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Lina stared down at the shrine maiden, shocked at the large cash purse she now held in front of her. Lina had somehow persuaded Sylphiel to take a bit of a 'break," from her dice game and explain the situation.  
  
"Well, you see..." Sylphiel was not at all used to the spotlight. She grabbed her collar to let in a bit of fresh air. "You see, I came down here to help my old friend Shorkin and his school. They are in need of teachers while they're school is in session."  
  
Lina moaned. "Yea, that explains why you're in this Cepheid forsaken place. But what the hell are you doing with all these chips!"  
  
Sylphiel blushed. "Oh...well, you see, the land tax is due on 'Monte Darlo school for Orphans' by noon tomorrow, otherwise Mr. Turnip is going to take the school by order of the mayor."  
  
"You mean, the guy who owns this casino? The guy who's face is plastered to every sign?"   
  
"Um-huh. Mr. Turnip wants to build more hotels and casino in this town. And since the school is located within the city walls, the land is very desirable."  
  
"Why doesn't he just build it somewhere else?" asked Gourry.  
  
Lina clubbed Gourry in the back of the head. "Be quiet, jellyfish for brains. I'm trying to figure out what's going on!"  
  
Sylphiel continued her little tale. "So I took what money I had and went to the banks for additional loans. But they didn't help me. It like I can just go for money and I didn't have enough, so I came here...and thank Cepheid-"  
  
"You WHAT!"  
  
"Well, I never gambled before. I needed a lot of luck, so I thought it would be a good idea...you know, I never asked before..."  
  
Line grumbled as she nodded her head, covering it with her hand. Heh, it would be like almost praying for her sister, thought the sorceress. Wha? She couldn't believe she was just thinking of that! Evil thoughts! Evil thoughts! That would just be unthinkable-  
  
"Lina?" asked Sylphiel.  
  
Lina waved her hand in front of her face while she swallowed her breath. "Really...*gulp*...I'm fine!"  
  
Sylphiel eyed Lina for a sec but dared not make a peep.  
  
"So, how much is the tax bill?" interjected Gourry, not knowing what he had missed before but nevertheless asking a pointed question for once.  
  
"Well, you see..."   
  
"Yea, so it looks like you got over 1000 gildings here." Lina wasn't really interested in Sylphiel's little problem per say, as the sorcerer helped bundle the shrine maiden's money into 100 count bags.   
  
Sylphiel gulped and tried to put on her fast face. "....I know..." she sheepishly answered. "But, the tax bill is only for 400 gildings."   
  
"Eh?" Lina's jaw just dropped. "But that means-"  
  
"Oh, Gourry! What am I going to do?" The innocent priest was rather distraught and in tears as she clutched as the swordsman's cloak, burying her head in Gourry's chest.  
  
"Sylphiel?" Gourry could only respond quizzically as he wrapped his arm around her.  
  
"I know, I just loved the attention, the game, and he just kept handing me the dice..."  
  
"Geesh." Lina took a minute to look at her nails. Hmmm, thought Lina, I think I'll need to pick up some more nail polish. The paint is really coming off my pinkie. Must be all those fireball spells...  
  
The two of them continued to hug and talk silently. Finally, Lina followed her mind, breaking the two them up in a bit of impatience. "We should really figure out what's going on here," as she split the two of them apart.  
  
"Err...sorry Lina." said Gourry.  
  
Lina let Gourry slide as her attention shifted to the shrine maiden gambling woman. "Look, Sylphiel, we'll do something to repent for you." Gourry was making the strangest faces to Lina, but the sorcerer ignored him. "I promise we'll stop at a Temple to Cepheid on our way back. OK?"   
  
The shrine maiden looked at Lina blankly as she tilted her head aside slightly, her mouth ajar.  
  
"OK, A big temple to Cepheid." Lina was making I've got a fish 'this big' motion with her hands.   
  
Sylphiel didn't budge an inch.  
  
"Alright!" grumbled the sorcerer. "I'll join you at an onsen afterwards. I swear." Lina immediately regretted her choice of words. As soon as she heard them with her own ears, Sylphiel glomped her.  
  
"Really! Oh, thank you Lina!. I don't know what I'd do without you!" as she tightly huggled the sorcerer.  
  
"Heh, don't mention it." Lina sweetly let out a little smile as she felt Sylphiel's emotional self. "Actually, you might need some help carrying all this cash around. How about a bodyguard? I swear I won't charge that much..."  
  
"You won't charge me that much?" Sylphiel squeezed a little harder. "Are you sure."   
  
Lina nodded.  
  
"Oh, thank you, Lina!"  
  
"Heh, no problem. Now, could you stop hugging me, Sylphiel?"  
  
"Oh, sorry..." The shrine maiden blushed a slight pink, but nevertheless backed off for a second.  
  
"Lina Inverse?" interrupted one of the Turnip security guards.  
  
"Yea, that's me!" Lina turned around to find a gaggle of security forces around a well-dressed man. The guards were all huddled around Turnip, escorting him onto the casino floor.   
  
Wearing an expensive camel-colored coat, the man of attention had perfect formed chin, Turnip's face was neatly chiseled for a man. Flanked on both sides were security personnel, armed with mini-crossbows that were thankfully unarmed and mounted on their own belts.  
  
"Who's that?" questioned Gourry, as he whispered in Lina's ear.  
  
"That's Turnip!" answered one of the casino lowlifes within the earshot of Lina. "He's never on the casino floor!"  
  
The sorcerer didn't have to be told anything else. "I'm going to talk to the guy."   
  
"Are you sure if that's a good idea?" said Sylphiel.  
  
"Sure. Come on." Lina ran right to her visitor as the guards parted a path right to Turnip.  
  
"Lina Inverse, I presume." The well-dressed man was immediately unimpressed with the sorcerer. "What can I do for you?" It was a voice of royalty, a voice of authority. His perfectly sculpted blond hair was cut neatly and tidy. An examination of his richly clothes were coverings fit for a king: a camel suit and jacket, shiny brown shoes, and a fluffy white shirt. Turnip's fingers were all lined with expensive gold jewelry, yet he also wore white gloves.   
  
"Your previous actions in the past have dictated you to be a very powerful woman," said Turnip. "So what is on your mind?"  
  
Lina almost blushed. "Heh, that's very nice of you to say..." She paused for a second before blurting out, a bit spellbound by all the riches. "Hey...who do you think you are? Tearing down the Monte Darlo School for Orphans?"  
  
Turnip ruffled for a second, annoyed by Lina's pointed words. The head guardsman leaned into Turnip's ear and whispered a few choice items before he answered. "So you're heard. Well, that shabbily school is one of the last pieces of property in this town that I do not own. After all, the mayor is almost a figurehead in this town, as I already run the security inside and outside the city walls as a 'service' to Monte Darlo."  
  
The sorceress was getting annoyed at the ego of Turnip. "All those children. You wouldn't throw them out on the city, would you?" Lina was putting her 'little girl' charm on to no avail.  
  
Turnip's eyes glazed over. Lina could swear Turnip's pupils were clouding up right in front of her. Her instinct told her that fiery souls hid behind those clouded pupils. It was raw...no it was angry...   
  
"Actually, it doesn't matter, really," said the sorcerer. "We already have enough money to bail the school out of its tax bill. Right, Sylphiel?"  
  
The shrine maiden nodded.  
  
Turnip came closer as his face unmasked a very threatening look. "What do you expect of me, Lina Inverse? The tax office doesn't open until ten o'clock tomorrow morning. It would be 'unfortunate' if something were to happen to you in the meanwhile..."  
  
"Why you..." The sorcerer leaped out at Turnip. She was about to throttle him, if it wasn't for Sylphiel holding onto her cape. "You wouldn't dare."   
  
Turnip's guards came closer, protecting their leader. "I see, Ms. Inverse. You have no manners at all." And Turnip bemused himself and laughed.  
  
"Lina," Sylphiel begged, still holding the sorcerer by the cape. "Please think of the kids. If you make a scene here, you'll have the whole place on us. This town lives because of people like Turnip. And who knows what would happen to those kids." She was almost pleading on her knees for Lina to stop.  
  
The petite redhead sighed. "Yea, you're so right. The rich baka isn't worth it."   
  
Growling for a second, she turned away, leaving Turnip to himself.   
  
"How annoying, this Lina Inverse." Turnip looked around in distaste. "Head guardsman! Report!"  
  
"We have to deal with the usual riff-raff of incidences. Someone tried sneaking in a fairy into the casino again. Damn those goodie two-shoes, they'll give the whole place craps in no time. Also, Timothy took care of some bandits at the front door, the red-striped gang will no longer be a problem for Monte Darlo."  
  
"Good. Anything else?"  
  
"Yea, several people have asked to meet with you. I have done the usual and refused them all. However, there is one individual in your waiting room, who keeps mentioning his "Inverse tax" plan. I thought this might be of interest to you."   
  
"Inverse tax. Heh, I wonder if it has anything to do with our annoying guest." Turnip eyes lit up in pleasure. "Good job. I will take care of that red-headed brat."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"It seems she's going to be a major pain in my side." Turnip took off his white gloves and slapped them into the head guardsman's hands. "I will meet with this "Inverse tax" fellow right away.  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Dealer busts! We have more winners!"  
  
Amelia looks over at the chimera. For the first time, in a long time, it looked like Zelgadis was having fun. In front of him was a sizeable and growing stack of coins.   
  
Oh, its about time, thought Amelia. Rock doesn't smile that often. But she wasn't very happy with her own efforts, for she was rapidly losing her extra coinage to the house.  
  
"Well, thank you ladies, gentleman," clapped the dealer. "But even this dealer needs a break. Excuse me."  
  
Still, Amelia was having a hard time expressing herself to the chimera in the last few days. It seemed at every chance, she was either too young, too small, or too naïve at the situation at hand. Damn it, what was it going to take?  
  
The new dealer loudly slapped his hands together. Nobody paid any attention to the new card shuffler. "Everyone looks like they have anted up their bets, so lets deal." The dealer suavely dealt cards out to the rest of the group, announcing their hands in utter flatness.  
  
"Oh, two face cards. Well, you're out of luck."  
  
"And two aces there. No chance."  
  
"An 18. Too bad."  
  
"A nine and an ace. But you've lost."  
  
"And there's another 20. What a waste."  
  
"Hey! What's the story?" questioned a loud patron in the shoe spot.  
  
Zelgadis looked up right into the face of Xellos. Instead of his usual costumed trickster, Xellos was costuming as a Turnip casino dealer. His uniform, of course, was freshly pressed and immaculate. 'Xellos Metallium, Wolf Pack Island' read the flashy casino name badge, hung tagged to his chest. Even his usual Mazoku staff was missing.   
  
The overhead casino lights seemed to take a bit of the starch out of his look, but to Amelia and Zel, he was still a scary sight to see the presence of the mysterious priest.  
  
"What are doing here, Xellos?" flashed Zelgadis.  
  
"Ah, do we have a complaint? I so suggest you talk to the management of this place and maybe, just maybe, they'll do something about it."   
  
Zelgadis frowned. Whatever the reason Xellos was here, it was bound to be attached to some kind of trouble. He was happy enough tossing a few coins into this time-killing game waiting for Lina. What he didn't need was the company of misery.  
  
Xellos already had a black ten showing as he turned over the dealer's hole card. "An ace of spades. Blackjack for dealer and I mean that literally."   
  
"Ah, Mr. Xellos," asked Amelia with a bit of cautiousness, "Where is Wolf Pack Island?" Amelia was surely used to having the Mazoku around, almost as a part of the family.   
  
The chimera could almost swear Amelia was befriending the Mazoku.  
  
"My dear princess, its a little far off place just south of the Demon Sea."  
  
"Oh really, a vacation spot-"  
  
"Ah, not exactly. My master has some nice wolves. I'm sure they would make you their little midnight snack."   
  
A once curious Amelia gulped as she put head down, silently putting up a small ante for the next round.   
  
The trickster priest was busy picking raking up losing bets from the other side of the table. The other patrons took it as a sign, deserting their seats at the blackjack table, leaving just the three of them.  
  
"What do you want, Mazoku."  
  
"Why, my dear chimera. How do you know I want something?"  
  
"You always want something. And you never tell any of us crap." Zelgadis steamed his mouth at the end of each sentence, threatening to blow the Mazoku down in one huff.  
  
"My chimera friend, how right you are." Xellos put this hand up to his chin in the thinking trance. "Well, I guess this time I'll have to spill my beans..."  
  
Zelgadis growled as he arched his neck higher. "Yea, right. Tell me already before I get really mad."  
  
"Alright already. However, first I think you need to place an appropriate bet." The mysterious priest pointed to Zel's betting spot with his index finger. "Let's see some money."  
  
The chimera tossed in the minimum ante of two coins into his betting circle.  
  
"Anoo..." smiled Xellos. "I said a proper bet." The Mazoku eyed his patron suspiciously as he reshuffled the deck of cards.  
  
Zelgadis wordlessly dragged in another couple of coins with his fingertips, annoyed as ever.  
  
"Zelgadis Greywards, if you expect to learn something about how you might be able to remove your curse, I suggest you ante up a bit more."   
  
Zelgadis pushed in his entire stack of coin and chips.  
  
Amelia is visibility alarmed as she shook at the chimera's elbow. " Zel! What are you doing?"  
  
"Stay out of this." Zelgadis pushed the princess back into her stool. "I know what I'm doing."  
  
"But we could eat like actual royalty for a week and maybe even order some Dragon cuisine!" But Amelia's response quickly fell on Zel's deaf ears.  
  
"Ah, so. We have a game of it." The mysterious priest rubbed in hands together in an excited manner. "Care you plop your soul up there as well?"   
  
"Get on with it already, cupcake." The chimera's eyes were lit up like roman candles.  
  
"So be it. It might be worth it."  
  
Xellos dealt the chimera two face cards. "As I was saying, this city has a magical protection force around it. You can cast light spells and such, but anything more complicated than that is unfortunately impossible."  
  
"Why is that?" Zelgadis was not expecting a straight answer.  
  
Xellos nodded. "Its always something in the air, I suppose. As for here, it seems the astral plane is quite 'locked' up here. It has been like this for some time."  
  
Zelgadis didn't believe the Mazoku. Leaning over to the other side of the table, he tried to cast a spell.   
  
"FIREBALL!" He spoke the spell quietly, trying to form the perfected ball of flame into his hand.   
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"You didn't believe me," said Xellos. "It's not like I've lied to you before."  
  
Zelgadis growled. "No, more like hid the truth."   
  
"Nevertheless, how fortunate you didn't burn this place to the ground."  
  
The chimera eyed the costumed dealer cautiously. For Xellos to enjoy such a place and not destroy it must mean it had some sort of value to the Mazoku. "So, what does this have to do with me?"  
  
"Ah, the point of it. Of course. Well, the mayor of this town has in his possession a box."  
  
"A box, now even for you, Xellos, that makes very little sense," said Zel. "Boxes are quite common is these lands."  
  
Xellos ignored the chimera's attempt at distain humor. "No, it's a very special box, my friend. Once called the Lynx box, this mysterious box has been around for centuries, possibly even before my existence."  
  
"A mysterious box for the mysterious priest. I think I'm liking this story."  
  
"I dare say you will. Anyway, the Lynx box supposedly has the power to divide the astral plane from the reality plane." Xellos finished the deal by showing his up card as a six.  
  
Zelgadis ears perked up as he watched Amelia play her 15 out by busting.  
  
"I'll stay..."  
  
Xellos turned over the dealer's down card to find he had a queen  
  
"So, the Lynx box is keeping us from using magic." The chimera sneered at his conclusions. "Since we're unable to touch the astral plane."  
  
Zelgadis smiled. And it wasn't just his secure hand of twenty. Xellos the dealer was stuck on 16 and had to hit.  
  
"You're going to beat that Mazoku for once," said Amelia.  
  
"You have me in a difficult situation, I will try to live up the expectations of a dealer." Taping the chute deck twice, Xellos sweatdropped has he lifted a card from the chute. Not even looking, Xellos placed the card symbolically face-up across his dealer hand.  
  
The five of spades.  
  
"Ah, the dealer has 21. Better luck next time. I do hope you try harder." In one fell swoop, the trickster priest vacuumed away the chimera's sizeable bet, depositing the coins half-hazardly into the cash box.   
  
The two travelers were in utter shock.  
  
"I thought...you had him..." answered the princess.  
  
"Well, time for me to go, I believe they've stuck me at the roulette table." And before Zelgadis could even answer, Xellos was gone in a flash.  
  
"Come back here, you thief!" Frustrated, he banged onto the empty Blackjack table. Only the leftover card chute was still there, so Zelgadis swung at it in frustration, flipping chute everywhere. Cards turned over everywhere.  
  
Zelgadis looked at the scattered cards. He reach for a few more and turned them over.  
  
A five of spades. And another five of spades.  
  
They were all five of spades.   
  
"XELLOS!!!!!!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Did you hear something, Lina?" asked Gourry.   
  
The three of them were reclining in an upscale lounge off the large casino floor. Gourry was pounding away ale, the leftover foam sticking to his chin. Lina was also sipping a rather colorful beverage, a sweet concoction of fruit juices and alcohol.  
  
"Gourry, I didn't hear anything." Sylphiel was indulging in her own drink of passion, a hot-chocolate concoction laced...with mini-marshmallows.  
  
"I'll have another ale." Gourry mentioned to the server.  
  
"Isn't that your third?" said Sylphiel.  
  
"Yea, guess so. But thinking about swordplay school got me into a drinking mood. Heh, I haven't had this much fun in a long time." He tilted back and looked at the ceiling. "Ahh, so nice here...nothing could ever happen here."  
  
"Hmm?" Lina didn't feel like paying attention to Gourry, her mind still concentrating on how good her drink was. She took another sip of the concoction. "You're going to curse us for sure. When was the last time you drank ale, anyway?"  
  
"Uhhh, back in swordsman's school. But I was told never to drink again because...*hic*..."  
  
Sylphiel sweat dropped. This surely wasn't a great time hanging with Lina and Gourry in a casino, but she had to stick around until 10 a.m. the next day to pay the tax bill for the orphans. She didn't think it could get much worse.  
  
The server came back with a giant mug of beer and placed it in front of the blond swordsman. Gourry picked it off the table in seconds.   
  
"Gourry! What are you doing?"  
  
"...glub! I'm drinking more ale..." Lina was making grabbing motions for Gourry's glass, her attempts a second too late.  
  
"You drunk! You have absolutely no tolerance for the stuff. You're so lucky Sylphiel is paying for this."   
  
Sylphiel sighed. Oh, too late to leave.  
  
Lina was furious. "I'm getting the bill!" She stared at her protector who was flopped back in his chair like a dead fish. In frustration, she swiped the arriving check in disgust and read the bill.  
  
"What! Inverse tax!" Lina crumpled the tab in her hand. "What in the world!"  
  
"Heh...heh....heh...!!" Gourry was laughing hysterically, pointing to Lina as he slumped over in a drunken stupor.   
  
"What is that, Lina?" asked the innocent shrine maiden, looking at the sorcerer in a state of puzzlement. "I've never heard of Inverse tax before."  
  
"Well," said Lina, "You see, this nut decided to add a fee to my bill. Called me a walking disaster." She pounded her hand on the table. "I get so annoyed even thinking about it!"  
  
"It's the most...*hic*...brilliant idea...*hic*...that anyone has come up...*hic* with..."  
  
I'm going to make him pass out, thought Lina, and it's going to hurt like Phibrizzo's hell in the morning. She was about to pound Gourry into the ground like the dumb blond he was - when a shadow over her interrupted her thoughts.  
  
"That's right, Lina Inverse!"  
  
Lina turned her head around. "Biru!" She scurried out of the chair. "Why the hell are you following me here!"  
  
"You see, I talked to this establishment's owner. When Turnip actually heard my idea for Inverse tax, he was more then thrilled to help me out."  
  
Lina sweat dropped.   
  
The innkeeper smiled down at the redheaded sorcerer. "I'm here to collect on that drink tab of yours, including the tax. Otherwise, these nice Turnip guards are going to put you in jail for a few days, to keep you nice and safe."  
  
Lina put both her hands on her hips. "So you're Turnip's henchboy now. Figures the egoistical guy couldn't do his own laundry."  
  
"Now, Lina," pointed Biru. "I do suggest you cooperate. Otherwise, there might be even more severe consequences."  
  
"I didn't get to blast you out of existence the last time because now I'm going to really enjoy it now." Lina was sure that Biru was going to be on the extra crispy side.  
  
"FLARE ARROW!"  
  
Nothing happened. Lina looked at her fingers in shock.  
  
"Heh, that's even better...*hic*...than Sylphiel...*hic*..." Gourry was stirring around, using the lounge chair for support.   
  
"FLARE LANCE!"  
  
Zippo. Lina was hopping up and down, wondering what in the world was going on with her powers. She was sure it wasn't the curse, for that blasted thing was last week.  
  
"Lina! What's wrong with your magic?" asked Sylphiel. "Did you get sealed by someone?"  
  
"BWAHAHAH! The great Lina Inverse, powerless!" Biru was backed up by an impressive row of Turnip security forces, for there had to be at least a dozen of them with their little crossbows armed all set to shoot. "I've told them all. Inns. Restaurants. Taverns. Every place you visit will now charge you Inverse Tax until the day you die!"  
  
Lina sweat dropped. "Are you nuts?"  
  
More guards came closer, causing Lina to step backwards.   
  
"Where are you going, Lina?" questioned Biru. "I'm not finished with you yet."  
  
Lina watched as Biru's muscle encircled the sorcerer, shrine maiden, and drunk. "Turnip's men. How thoughtful of him to supply you with help." Lina was suddenly very dizzy. She thought about her most recent conversation with Turnip and decided that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to be truthful...  
  
" Don't worry ladies! Your protector is here!" Stumbling badly, Gourry arched his sword so clumsily that he almost chopped the metal weapon into the chairs. "I will...*hic*...save you!" And exactly at the end of his little shtick, Gourry collapsed backwards into the table, spilling drinks everywhere.  
  
"Gourry!" exclaimed Sylphiel, too late to catch him as he crashed to the ground.  
  
Lina shook her head from side-to-side. Protector my ass, she thought. Gourry was going to get a good flogging, only when he could actually feel the pain.  
  
"Lina.." said Sylphiel. "Any ideas?"  
  
"Actually..." Lina turned around and winked for only Sylphiel to see.   
  
"FIREBALL!" Lina was doing another, overdramatic motions with her arms. Sylphiel knew something was coming - something big as she scurried to peel dear Gourry off the floor.  
  
Biru laughed as his eyes watched Lina spin like a crazed dancer. To him, the entire city was practically a spell-free zone, so he had no worries with handling the great Lina Inverse. What he wasn't watching were the little steel balls that rolled just past his feet.  
  
*BOOOM!!*   
*BOOOM!!*   
*BOOOM!!*  
  
"Let's get out of here!" The two power-wielding women were up in a flash.  
  
"What did you do, Lina?" Sylphiel was somehow carrying Gourry on her back. She has rescued and healed quite a few warriors before, including one Lina Inverse. But Gourry was the heaviest she had ever carried.  
  
"Oh, just some cute toys I picked up from a old 'friend.' Knew they would come in handy during my monthly curses, never thought I'd use them here..." Lina knew those where the last of the 'bombs', but she still had a small pistol in her far back pocket for a very emergency situation. This wasn't one of them. She smiled to the shrine maiden as they disappeared in back into the casino crowds.  
  
The multiple clouds of black gunpowder smoke quick dissipated. Biru and the Turnip guards weren't exactly crispy, but they were surely blackened from the salt peter.   
  
"Find them! Now!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"There it is."   
  
The two of them were in their inn room on the quiet side of town. After a quick bite and a few stops in the pawn shops, (yes, the shops that never close, mind you!) Zelgadis found what he needed.  
  
The chimera unrolled the street map of Monde Darlo. "The guy downstairs said that the main mayor's offices are actually in this main building here, in Turnip Plaza. Damn, this guy owns everything in town."  
  
The city was laid out in the pattern of five-sided star. "Doesn't the shape of the city lines remind you of anything?"   
  
"You're telling me," chimed Amelia.  
  
Zelgadis immediately noted that Turnip Plaza was smack dab in the middle of the city, easily the highest building as well with its very tall main tower. The casino was attached on one side, but the other side was just a paved street. Zel pointed to the other side earnestly. "This way might be better. Turnip sure doesn't hide the fact too well."  
  
Amelia nodded in approval. "Yea, it sure looks like it."  
  
The chimera turned to the backpacks behind him. He pulled out long circles of line, making sure the rope was in fair condition. Then, he attached a series of grappler hooks to the ends.  
  
"What do you need that stuff for?" questioned Amelia.  
  
"I'm going to take a look. I must." Zelgadis continued to coil the line, without ever looking up. "If that thing can dampen magic per say, then maybe, it can remove the magic from my body as well."  
  
Amelia jumped on her bed, pointing down at the chimera all in one motion. "That's...stealing. I can't allow you to go in...and take that 'box.'"  
  
"I'm not taking the 'box'...I'm just be looking at it..."  
  
"Oh...but you'll be trespassing." The princess swallowed her tongue.   
  
Zelgadis put his pack down and sat on the bed next to Amelia. He had actually never sat up right next to the princess, at least so close to her...close enough to smell the beautiful scents from her. It was a bit of a distraction.  
  
"You know my goals and my pain." He looked squarely into Amelia's eyes as he finished his preparations. "Then you know I'm going, no matter my personal cost."   
  
Amelia was close to tearing in sadness as she bent her head down. "Hai. I understand."  
  
Zelgadis silently packed up his stuff, ready to go. He had slipped on a dark cloak to hide his thieving presence. As he headed to the door, he looked back at Amelia who firmly spoke up.  
  
"Wait. I'm coming with you."   
  
The chimera was not surprised. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes." Amelia now had her pack on as she prepped herself for their nighttime mission. "Justice sees in the dark, but sometimes it needs a bit of help to find the truth." The princess sighed and continued. "I just hope you're right, Zel."  
  
"I am." The chimera tossed another dark cloak to Amelia. "Got this downstairs as well. I kind of figured you'd come along."  
  
Amelia smiled.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Lina and Sylphiel ran through the casino floor, dragging the almost unconscious Gourry. Lina was having a hard time, fending off the curious crowd with her mouth. "Heh, he lost too much money and passed out, really! No he's fine I tell you! No, he's not available for dress-up parties!"  
  
" Lina, I think they're still after us," commented Sylphiel.  
  
"Baka." Lina lifted the head of her blond protector has the rest of him leaned on Sylphiel. "Have you ever seen Gourry like this?"  
  
"No, I have no idea he was such a lush."  
  
The pint-sized sorcerer turned around to view the large crowd. She could see lines of keystone security guards making a beeline to her current position. "It's like they know we're here!"  
  
The sword-wielding drunk started to stir back into consciousness. "Ugh...*hic*...what in Cepheid...happened to me."  
  
"You got run over by a dragon on skates..." said Lina to the half-sleepy Gourry.   
  
Gourry shook his head. "Really? I must have been fun roller skating!"  
  
"You passed out, jellyfish for brains! Don't you remember what happened a few minutes ago?" One could swear Lina's eyes were breathing fire.  
  
"Ummm. I think so."   
  
"Never mind." Lina had her hand in a tight fist as she knocked on the swordsman's head like checking a coconut for leaks. "In fact, don't answer my stupid questions."  
  
Gourry looked up at Lina for a sec, apparently still not all there from even his usual self. "Heh...chaotic sorcerer...beating me....yummy..."  
  
"HENTAI!!" Lina smacked Gourry easily out of Sylphiel's hands, making him fall to the ground. "You noodle head!"  
  
"Ooof!" Gourry was on the floor, sputtering around like a fish out of water.   
  
Lina knew she needed to buy some time. It would only be a few minutes until they'd be surrounded by the hoards of security personnel. It was bad enough that they were mobbed with people, only if-  
  
"Sylphiel, come here." The sorcerer motioned for the purple-dressed shrine maiden to come closer.  
  
Without another word, Lina made a grab for Sylphiel's belt, taking a couple of bags of coins.  
  
"Miss Lina! What are you doing?" questioned Sylphiel.  
  
"I don't know. No, I actually do know. I'm saving our skin, even if its one of the most painful things I've ever done." Hands trembled as Lina gathered the coins in her hands. "One breakfast, two dinners, countless lunches." Lina was counting off coins like she was going to a death march.  
  
She turned to the approaching guards as they again formed a crude semi-circle around the three of them. One stepped up and advanced on their position.  
  
"Surrender, now!" He smile was not of a happy sort.  
  
The sorcerer winked at the head guard, turning around at the same time, reaching....then throwing...  
  
"Money!" was Lina's yell, as she tossed the coins into the air. "Money from Cepheid!"  
  
The casino crowd heard the converged on Lina's position, running over other patrons, guards, chairs, and anything else in the way.   
  
"Gildlings!"  
  
"Gold!"  
  
Sensing a free meal and maybe a whole lot more, the crowd rushed in like a tsunami.  
  
"Please remain calm! Please!" shouted one Turnip casino worker, just before the mad crowd stampeded him down. They swarmed all over the place like bees to honey.  
  
"Heh, serves them right! Let's go," announced Lina as she and Sylphiel grabbed the sleeping Gourry and took off.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Xellos just loved casinos. Yes, there was a lot of positive emotion in the air: the joy of getting a quick jackpot, or perhaps the knowledge of making out ahead. But most casinos were moneymaking machines -- which means they took money, opportunities, and people's lives. They were the perfect emotional sinkhole -- incredible bouts of anger, depression, and sadness, as the casino took people's lives.  
  
So Xellos would stand for hours, unnoticed, overlooking the crowd of conflicting sensations. The extreme highs and lows were like having bouts of climaxes and depressions at the same time. The result was an orgy of feelings that made for a such stimulating ride.   
  
But it was important business that was on his mind as he walked away from the casino floor to the private gambling floors above. Back in his normal persona, it was here that he was to report in.  
  
Xellos entered a luxurious suite, lined with the thickest of shag rugs, dark oaken cabinets, decorated with antiques from an earlier time. The wall mountings held long-stemmed black wax candles, the beckoning light illuminated the details of the private room; there was enough realistic charm to sooth senses to a dull roar.   
  
"My lord Zelas." He quietly bowed with his right arm over his chest.   
  
"Xellos." Zelas was seated at a card table, currently playing poker with several other lower Mazoku. She turned her attention away from the game.   
  
Zelas Beastmaster was dressed in her usual costume: high boots, a simple black dress, with plenty of gold jewelry. In her left hand was a cigarette in a long gold holder. Next to her right hand was a glass of brandy, recently swirling from being sipped.   
  
She leaned back. "I understand why this place appeals to you, Xellos. Such a smorgasbord, it is an ideal place to get away to."  
  
Xellos nodded at his master. "Yes, my lord."  
  
The mysterious priest looked down at the poker table. Zelas had most of the coinage between the four players. It was apparent that the lesser Mazoku's: nicknamed Larry, Moe, and Curly, that they were outclassed, or they were letting Zelas win.   
  
Zelas sighed. Yea, beating up her little henchmen in a game of poker was so dull. She was thinking of stashing on some pour human souls, but a scene at Turnip's casino was something she was trying to avoid.  
  
"You are dismissed." Xellos quickly bowed again and was out of the room in a flash.  
  
The greater beast turned back to the card game. "OK, boys, what have you got-"  
  
It was the voice of a shadowy figure from the other side of the room that interrupted Zelas' fleeting thoughts of winning another hand.  
  
"Are you sure about him?"   
  
The lesser Mazokus were all shaking in fear at the voice. They did not dare say one word.  
  
Zelas silently took a long sip of her brandy before answering. "I don't like your tone. You could be a little more respectable to my priest-general. Besides, you know he can't disobey me."  
  
"Nevertheless, he will learn."  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid he always does. They don't call him the mysterious priest for nothing."   
  
The shadowed voice ruffled but did not omit a word.  
  
"I assume you are gathering as well?" Zelas was now turned around in her chair as she spoke into the darkness.   
  
"I am...yet...I don't think it was a good idea."  
  
"You must. It's your problem as well. You were part of it as well." Zelas lit another cigarette, throwing the match onto the floor while placing the cigarette in her holder. "Damn Phibrizzo's mess. I wish he took care of it but he never could, I suppose."  
  
The voice ruffled again. "There aren't much of us left anymore..."  
  
Zelas took long puffs on her cigarette, blowing smoke rings into the air. Instead of responding, she just sighed quietly.  
  
"Be thankful there are enough of us." Quickly, the voice dissipated back into the shadows.  
  
"True...true...."   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
[Lina] Am I just going to be chased around with my 'sleepy' Gourry all night?  
  
[Author] Hmmm, I think I have you going in circles for at least two or three more chapters. Let me check my notes.  
  
[Lina] Wha! Are you crazy! I'm going to take you out!  
  
[Author] And, my Lina...what are going to do about it? {goes to grab large eraser...}  
  
[Lina] Heh...ummm...*sweatdrops*...nothing! I swear! {checks her black book for L-Sama's number} BTW, do you have a phone I can borrow?  
  
[Author] Umm, no.  
  
[Lina] Damn!  
  
  
---o--o--o--- 


	3. Chapter 3: Steal! It’s the Theft of a Li...

---o--o--o---  
  
  
Slayers: Clouds!  
  
Chapter 3:  
Steal! It's the Theft of a Lifetime!  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Zelgadis looked up at the impressive sight of iron bars and castle walls. The stony walls were dark and slimy, covered with patches of thick ivy. Every odd or so place was a small window, covered with bars that were well worn and rusty, their great girth made them almost impossible to see through.   
  
"They're not making this damn easy for us," he groaned.   
  
The chimera turned to his current partner. Frankly, Amelia looked scared as she twitched her head back and forth in rapid motions. She almost looked a little lost. Even the cloak outfit was about two sizes too small of her.   
  
"I'm too young to be trespassing!" peeped the princess. "What if we're heard?"  
  
Zelgadis sighed. He wanted to get this done on his own...but no, he had to be considerate about it. Maybe it was their last adventure, but for once he couldn't get her off his mind.  
  
"What if we get caught?" Amelia pinged.  
  
The sigh turned to a frown. Not good, thought the chimera. He couldn't deal with this now.  
  
"What if we end up on trial? Daddy would have to come down here. Our fight for justice would be so embarrassing. I don't know what I'd do..."  
  
"Amelia, don't you remember the rest of your family-" The chimera was cut off rapidly by Amelia's words.  
  
"And then, I'd end up in some brackish prison mining for coal and stuff. Other woman prisoners would surely take advantage of my virgin soul..."  
  
Zelgadis arched in eyebrows at Amelia's latest words as the princess fell to her knees, glomping the chimera's leg like her favorite teddy bear. "You wouldn't want me to get strung up by those beastly woman, just because I wouldn't put out...would you?"  
  
"Oh course not," as he coughed, "I might have to-"  
  
"...oh, Zel..." Amelia's eyes lit up like full moons, her smile threatened to ever crack Zel's tough exterior.  
  
"...call Lina for help." The chimera finished the words with a total lack of emotion.  
  
Amelia sweat dropped, daring not say another word.  
  
The chimera looked up again at the wrought iron gate and stone walls. The lack of personal security made it evident that something else was behind the impressive walls.   
  
"Why can't we just 'RAYWING' up there?" Amelia then tried it herself as she bunny hopped less than a mere foot off the ground.  
  
"Told you..." Zelgadis was digging through his bag, removing rope and the grappling hooks.  
  
"Hai, I know." Amelia was now staring at Zelgadis has be wound the rope with in right arm, his left arm in the shape of a hook. It wasn't long for him to wind the endless length of rope.  
  
The chimera threw his grapple hook into the air, well over the thirty foot wall. It pinged silently on the other side, as Zelgadis pulled it the line to firm the position. Sure enough, he immediately started to climb up the side of the wall, grunting every foot along the way.  
  
"Zel, I don't think you should go first..." Amelia was right under the chimera as she started to climb up the rope.  
  
He looked down. "Why not?"  
  
"Well," Amelia gulped, "I really don't want something heavy falling on me...not sure it would be a good idea."  
  
Zelgadis swallowed. "Guess you're right." He turned his body around on the rope, putting his back to the wall. "Fine. Grab my hand so I can pull you up."   
  
Amelia easily scrambled up the hanging rope to Zelgadis. "I'm almost there." First, holding onto his legs, then his waist as the princess was now face to face with the chimera.  
  
Zelgadis looked into Amelia's eyes. Weren't those the eyes of a child? So carefree in the world, one who had a whisper in his life? No, for the chimera had looked not just into Amelia's eyes, but into someplace else. He won't look, he won't do it, she is not just...  
  
He looked. He had never been so close to Amelia, as her breath beat down on his stony yet sensitive skin. He was surprised how tight her body was even though it was smooth-  
  
A knee to the groin interrupted his beautiful thoughts.   
  
"Ooof."  
  
"Is something wrong, Zel?"  
  
"No...nothing." He winced his eyes shut in pain. "Just go. Climb."   
  
It seemed Zelgadis didn't have stone protection everywhere, per say.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Lina turned around the corner, racing along as her little legs could carry her. She wasn't exactly scared at the situation right now, but the sheer number of Turnip house guards as well as the lack of magic power made the current situation unbearable.   
  
"Quick, hide in here!"  
  
The three of them dived into a small closet next to the open theatre areas. Lina was dumbstuck as she entered, for the room was stark white. In the middle of the small room were several canvas chairs, and the walls were either lined with mirrors or candles.   
  
What was this place, Lina thought. Was it a hidden temple to a Mazoku lord? A sacrifice chamber where wax was their form of death? A deadly place where they would get strung up like sausages?   
  
She couldn't stand any more and she forcefully removed her short sword. "Come on out, you Mazoku fodder!"  
  
"It's a dressing and makeup room, Lina" The priestess rubbed Lina's shoulders for a sec, calming the fiery redhead of her nerves while pointing the makeup case on the corner side table. "You know, for the theater next door."  
  
"Hai, of course...I knew that."  
  
Lina looked back at her mini-group. Sylphiel was no timid soul. Lina had already been through quite a few adventures with the shrine maiden with considerably good results. But she was not an offensive type of woman, especially when both of them lacked any magical power at the moment.   
  
Behind her was Gourry. He was finally getting back his composure as he rested in a lounge chair. He was still delirious from alcohol, his eyes blinking shut most of the time as he squirmed around. Sylphiel placed a wet towel on the swordsman's head, hoping the moisture would awake Gourry from his plight.  
  
"What happened to him?" Lina, for once, expressed her words with a underlying thought of compassion.  
  
The priestess looked up. "I really have no idea. I've never seen anyone react to alcohol like that before. I've always known Gourry to take a pint or two."   
  
"But the way he reacted," added Sylphiel, "it seemed like his body was severely affected by it." She placed the back of her wrist on Gourry's face to check his temperature. "He's still tipsy, but I thinks he's better. Working without magic is difficult, but its safe to say he'll be all right."  
  
Lina sighed.  
  
Gourry stirred again, finally opening his eyes as he vaulted himself to a sitting position. "Pain...terrible..."  
  
"Easy there, Gourry."  
  
"Yea, stay in the chair, otherwise I'll barbecue you're ass..."  
  
Gourry leaned back into the canvas seat as he flailed around to get comfortable. "What happened to me? I don't recall."  
  
"Eh, for once it makes sense." Lina lightly knocked on Gourry's head, definitely getting the blond man's attention. "You stupid jerk, you drank three pints of brew and was drunker than a skunk!"  
  
"Oh." Gourry paused for a sec. "So, how did that happen again?"  
  
"Don't you ever get drunk?" Lina sneered.  
  
"No. Not anymore," said Gourry, answering immediately.  
  
"Wha!" Lina was close to beating Gourry with her own fist if he didn't spill the beans. "You mean you don't get drunk?"  
  
Gourry paused for a sec. "Well, it's like this. I was going early as a kid to a school for swordsmanship. After a practice, we ended up down at the tavern eating away and celebrating. The Innkeeper was so happy with our business, that he gave the squad a giant barrel of his finest brew. After taking the barrel of brew from the back of the restaurant. We couldn't exactly drag the thing back to school to our dormitory. So, we hide the barrel in a local barn on the outskirts of town. Before long, we were drinking a few before dinner."  
  
Gourry looked up for sec to see Sylphiel with her arms crossed over her chest. Anoo, for Gourry knew this story would get out one day, why did it have to be THE day.  
  
"Go on..." Lina nodded, getting Gourry to continue his tale.  
  
"We'd have a grand old time for hours on end. But coming home, stumbling around school was never good. I would break more stuff than usual."   
  
"Heh..." Lina snickered for a sec before clamping her mouth shut with her hand.   
  
"My mom found out I was misbehaving from the schoolmaster, and she took me to some white magician on the other side of town. Then from that point, alcohol had no effect on my body. I think he casts some spell on me."  
  
Lina just eyed back.  
  
"Heh, so the spell as been on all this time until today, at which point the spell has been disposed with, so to speak. Wow, Gourry, I have to give your mom quite a bit of credit there. I didn't she have the guts." Lina was patting the back of Gourry's head, though one could see the swordsman was not enjoying this part of the show."  
  
"Gourry dear."  
  
Gourry turned his attention to the shrine maiden. "Yes, Sylphiel."  
  
"Why would you do such a thing? Don't you have any will?"  
  
Gourry gulped.   
  
Interrupting everyone, the dressing room door swung open, admitting two ladies dressed in very familiar kawaii outfits.   
  
"I can't believe none of our spells worked tonight," said one of the young ladies.  
  
"I know, its like the gods decided not to show up..." said other one, definitely a twin of the first one. They were dressed in matching yellow and pink outfits accessorized with sparkle on their faces, holding rather colorful magical wands.   
  
The second twin stopped in the middle of her sentence, staring at Lina and company, their mouths agape in surprise.   
  
"Lina!!" they both shouted in unison.   
  
"Hi girls. I just dropped by to see how you two we're doing." Lina was doing her best to wave her hand in the air while not look pretentious. Behind her, Sylphiel was also doing her best to block the snoring Gourry in her lounge chair.  
  
"Geez! I never thought I see you again," shouted Nene.  
  
"I heard you got busted up a while ago!" said Mimi.  
  
Lina moaned sheepishly. "Oh yeah, well here's the proof. I'm here."  
  
"It's good to see you Lina," said Nene, "but do you care to tell us what the hell you're doing in our dressing room? We've got a performance in twenty minutes and we've got...AAGH!"  
  
A wide-awake Gourry was busy powdering his nose with the girls' cosmetics. He was having a grand old time making a kooky mess. Sylphiel was having a hard time controlling the alcohol-induced Gourry. The swordsman didn't want to just sit and wait, but he rather walk around and explore.   
  
"That stuff is 40 gold pieces an ounce! Get off of that stuff!" said Nene as she ran over, closing the makeup cases on the mirror counters.  
  
"Oops, sorry..." The swordsman quietly say fell back down in his chair, his nose still white with powder.  
  
Lina snickered.  
  
"Lina-san, can you-" Sylphiel was being as polite as possible.  
  
"Oh how thoughtless of me. These two girls-"  
  
"Ladies!" snorted Mimi, bending forward.  
  
"Umm, ladies are-" Lina just stood there for a sec.  
  
"Sylphiel Nels Lahda." said the shine maiden as she held out her hand.  
  
"Nene McIntyre, and my sis Mimi McIntyre. We met Lina on a treasure hunt, for the ceremony scrolls that help us perform."  
  
"Well, not really, it was when we were searching for the Claire-"  
  
"Oh really?" Sylphiel joyfully cut Lina off. "I used to learn ceremony spells from my father. Maybe I could show you a spell or two?"  
  
Mimi interjected. "Well, we'd love to learn them, but our spells in this blasted city don't to work. The only that does work is the simplest of light spells."  
  
"Yea, and the Turnip guards have not been happy with our performances at all!" said Nene. "Turnip says if we don't pull in more gate receipt-"  
  
"That we get fired and would work the balance of our stay as hotel maids!" frowned Mime.   
  
"So." Lina was tapping her finger on her chin. "You girls can't use your spells, either. And I thought someone had sealed our powers as well."  
  
"Nope. It's the gambling here. If there were spell casters in the gaming rooms, there would be countless cheating. That's why you can gamble here without the thought of being swindled. Its Turnip who's collecting on this place."  
  
"I'm sure he is. I just don't know how he's blocking the spell casting. And until we do-"  
  
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*   
  
"Open up, Turnip Security!"  
  
The twin girls stared down the redheaded sorcerer. "Care to explain yourself, Lina?"  
  
"Not really." Lina looked back down behind her. "How about telling me where the back entrance is to this place?"  
  
Mimi frowned. "There isn't one. There's only one way in," as she thumbed at the door.  
  
"Great. Look, I could really," Lina gulped for a sec, for it was never in her nature to ask for help, unless the times were desperate. Let's see...no magic, a useless Gourry-san, yep, it was desperate times all right.  
  
"...I need your help. Swear."  
  
"I don't know..." said Nene.  
  
"Come on girls, I know we got off on the wrong foot the first time. But you do want to continue your singing career, right?  
  
"Of course!" chimed Mime. "We wouldn't want to lose it for the world."  
  
Lina smiled. "Heh, that's why you're going to have to help us. Otherwise, Turnip is going to get me and you. Heh, and I thought you girls would be good for maid duty."   
  
Nene frowned. "Hey! That's not an option."  
  
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*  
  
"Lina, what are we going to do?" pleaded Sylphiel.  
  
"I haven't got any ideas," said Lina, "how about you?"   
  
The twins' eyes just lit up like dinner plates as they stared behind the traveling group and behind them, the costume rack.  
  
The sorcerer turned her head around. "Oh no. Anything but that. Please! Anything to keep me out of that!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*   
  
"This is Turnip security. We're entering this room by the order of Lord Turnip in one minute."  
  
Sounds of moving boxes and shuffling were the first sounds of intelligent life in the room. Inpatient, the sergeant guard banged on the door for the umpteen time.  
  
"...hey! I'm not wearing that!"  
  
"...shut-up! I told you to be quiet...now wear this, ok..."  
  
"...you know, I'm glad there were five of us."  
  
"...yeah, really..."  
  
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*  
  
"Just a minute!" jingled Lina to a slight tune, "We'll be out soooon!"  
  
The sergeant nodded his head as he turned to his subordinates. "Damn, showbiz girls are nothing but a pain in the ass."  
  
"Heck, why don't we just knock the door down?" questioned one of the pupils. "Come on, move aside!"  
  
"If we do, no dancing girls with self respect would even come here again." The sergeant grinned. "Then I wouldn't get laid."  
  
"You get laid?"  
  
The sergeant just glared.  
  
"...Lina, I don't think..."  
  
"...that is sooooo you..."  
  
"...hey baka, watch the powder there, you told me..."  
  
"...hold still while I tie this strap down. There!"  
  
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*   
  
"We're coming!"  
  
The door of the room flew open as if a curtain was going up. The strong stench of expensive perfume and powder immediately wafted down the hallways, putting a spell of lust over Turnip's guards. They reacted like the typical men they were.  
  
"Hey there, ladies!" One guard whistled, his mouth drooling over a double prime-rib dinner.   
  
"Yowzer! Twins!"  
  
"Oh my, I have got to have that tall blond!!!" yelled the other guard behind him.  
  
The five 'ladies' blushed as they left the powder room. Each of the ladies wore matching cocktail outfits: tiny spaghetti strapped cocktail dresses laced with plenty of beading and a watching boa. With low scoop lines, their fronts and backs showed plenty of skin as well. Finally, each outfit ended with shear stockings and very shiny silver-laced high heels.  
  
"You're telling me! Just look at the muscle definition on that girl." The guards were really infatuated with the blond one, her long legs and heels gave them a heart-lashing.   
  
"Get a life!" yelled the red-headed sparkplug, holding her fist to the guards.   
  
"Uhhh, sorry. Umm, is she your girlfriend or something?"  
  
Lina looked down at the ground in disgust, her anger threatening to erupt as she shook slightly. "No, you baka! She is not my girlfriend!"  
  
"ATTENTION!"   
  
The sergeant turned around to face his gaggle of troops, his fad beet-red. "What the hell do you guys think you are? We show CPR here! Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect. Do I make myself clear!"  
  
The ladies didn't stick around to watch the undressing of the Turnip guards, they made themselves scarce.  
  
The guard went immediately to attention now that the distraction was gone. "Sir, yes sir!" It was griddle time now.  
  
"Good. I'm glad you see it my way. You all know better. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
"Yes, sir!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Whoa, that was a close one." Lina sighed as she leaned back again the hallway, just relaxing for a second while Nene hid their previously sexy outfits in a nearby garbage can. They were now back in the Trump Plaza, in one of the hallways attached to the casino floor.  
  
Mimi squandered next to the sorcerer for a bit of wall room, "Lina? What the hell are we going to do?"  
  
"I can't miss a performance." The other sister said, muttering to herself. "I just feel awful about everything."   
  
Lina rolled her eyes, frustrated over their predicament. "I don't know. Sometimes I'm so freaking useless without my magic powers, and then there's Gourry." She thumbed at half-awake Gourry, held together with the assistance of Sylphiel. "We're just not able to do much of anything right now except play hide-n-seek."  
  
The hallway light from the ceiling was suddenly blocked out. Lina quickly looking up and shaded her eyes from the overhead glare. She took a hard stare before relaxing once again by leaning on the wall.   
  
"Timothy! Don't scare me like that!" said the sorcerer, letting out her breath. "I'm sure glad to see you."  
  
"I'm sorry, Lina. But I heard a report that the head guardsman has ordered your capture. I couldn't let that happen, so I went looking for you and Zelgadis."  
  
"It's Turnip all right. He got Biru and his stupid tax scheme to do his dirty work. I swear, when I get my hands on him." Lina was playfully making strangling motions with her hands at the same time.  
  
"I know. My father says I have to listen to Turnip. But it's so hard taking orders from Turnip."  
  
"What do you mean, from Turnip?" said Lina. "Don't you work for the mayor protecting the city?"  
  
"I do. I used to protect this city when there was no casino, and it was very quiet. Zelgadis used to come here every once in a while and I'd train with me."  
  
"Then, Turnip came. He made a deal to protect the city with walls if we gave him land in the center of Monte Darlo. We did it because we wanted to protect the people here. And we were happy while the city grew larger and larger."  
  
"But when Turnip started making threats to leave Monte Darlo, and take his casino business with him, the mayor conceited to his every wish. Turnip really runs the city now, and that's it. We're scared that Turnip is going to take over. He certainly has enough money to hire a mercenary army. All the bandits I've caught are locked up in Turnip's 'prison.' And I have no idea where my prisoners go."  
  
"You mean he doesn't have a prison here in Monte Darlo?"  
  
"Nope..."  
  
Lina shuddered. It was bad enough fighting a few bandit gangs and such. But Turnip had enough dough to bring them together and really pillage the lands. He must have himself some side project. She shook again for the second time in the last few minutes.  
  
"You're Zelgadis friends. I'll help you fight him." said Timothy.  
  
"Really?" Lina's eyes lit up. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Hai, come this way." Timothy led the group down the hallway to a locked door. Unlocking the security gate with a skeleton key, the five of them walked down a dark walkway, then it ramped up several fights of stairs.   
  
"Where are you taking us?"  
  
"I's going to take you to my security post, outside the city. Then I'd know that you'll be safe over Turnip"   
  
"No."   
  
Startled, Nene pushed onto Lina's back. "Eh, why not? You've got to be nuts for staying here. None of us have any magic powers."  
  
"Exactly. That's why." Lina turned to Timothy for a second, looking down the hallway at all the townsman playing casino games on the floor "It may not be for them, but as I have been reminded, its for those kids. And if I don't get my magic back, then Turnip may take out that orphanage even if we DO pay that blasted tax bill in the morning."  
  
Sylphiel just nodded her head in agreement.  
  
Lina turned up at Timothy. "You're going to tell me how they keep everyone here without the use of their magic, except for some darn light spells and such."  
  
Timothy put his finger to his large chin for a second. "I dunno..."  
  
Lina grabbed at Timothy-chan's collar. "Tell me! Tell me now or I tell Zelgadis that you've been bad."  
  
Timothy fumbled under Lina's straightforward words. "OK! OK! I'll tell you. Swear."  
  
"Good." Lina let Timothy go by the collar. The sudden lack of force leaned the big guy back into the hallway wall.  
  
"Well, I guess you mean the magic box."  
  
"Magic box? Eh, What's that?"  
  
"I don't know. All I know is that it's on the roof of the main casino tower, part of the original castle. It's very high. Turnip's guards are up there at all times."  
  
"Oh really? Do you know what else is up there?" The sorcerer's mouth just watered at the tidbits of information.  
  
"No, I don't. I've only heard stories." The large man scratched his head in frustration. "Something about souls that scream in fright. It's supposedly a place of fire and flame." For a big guy, even Timothy looked scared in his eyes.  
  
Lina nodded. "Hmmm, fire and flame. Perfect! That's where we're going -- I've never been scared by a little bit of a barbecue. Exactly the place that 'I' should avoid."  
  
The shrine maiden gulped. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"   
  
"Of course it's a good idea! We're going to get to the bottom of this, right now!"  
  
Timothy changed direction lead the group in the opposite direction, then up a second set of stairs into a dark on somber hallway. The gray walls were narrow and cathedral-like, lined with lit candles that seemed to glow up into the wooden rafters.  
  
"Shhh, be quiet," commented Timothy as they crept up the hallway. "We have to sneak past the mirror room."  
  
"Mirror room...ahhh, a room full of mirrors," answered Gourry.  
  
Lina bonked Gourry on the head slightly to keep him quiet. "Now, quickly..."   
  
"Ok, ok, we're coming." A narrow doorway on the left was ajar for everyone to see into the mirror room.  
  
Lina could see that Timothy was right, for the darkened room was covered with mirrors. They lined the walls in a perfect checkerboard pattern, with each mirror was about twelve inches high by six or so inches high. What was surprising about them were they didn't reflect light, but instead swirled with images, lighting the room unnaturally.   
  
There were of images of people gambling. Images of hallways, restaurants, shops, and of other casino floor. It was as if the mirrors were viewing everyone's actions and moves, remotely away from the casino floor.   
  
And in front of the 'mirrors' were a pair of Turnip security guards, slouching in comfy chairs. They were intently looking at each of the mirrors, paying little attention to anyone outside in the hallway.   
  
"Have you tracked down those little brats?" One of the mirrors on the left wall had another guard speaking to the slouching security forces.  
  
"Heh, those damn kids are hard to find," said one of the resting guards. "They're probably behind in some darkened corner, hiding."  
  
"Yea, right. Just keep a good lookout."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
The sorcerer's hands were balled up in fists, ready to pounce. "I don't care! I can pound the two of them into pulp with my bare hands!  
  
Timothy put his hand on Lina shoulder, attempting to calm her down. "There's not much you can do, Lina-san. Remember you don't have any magic."  
  
"I can't believe Turnip has been running me in circles for hours," said the sorcerer. "When I find him, I'll make sure I know how he treats a lady." In a gesture of frustration, she reached around the doorway a bit, gesturing with her hand.   
  
"What did you do, Lina?" asked Gourry, scratching his head.  
  
Instead of the redhead answering, it was Sylphiel who pushed Gourry forward. "Something very un-lady like."   
  
As they turned the hallway corner from the mirror room, Timothy suddenly stopped. The always predictable Gourry ran right into Timothy's rather large behind, almost knocking the big fellow down.  
  
"Ooof. Sorry."  
  
"Its ok, Gourry. This is as far as I go." He pointed to a hole up in the ceiling, with the last rung of a ladder dangling from the makeshift entrance. It was dark, dingy, and full of ugly cobwebs.  
  
Mime screamed, "I'm not going up there!"  
  
"Yea, you're nuts, spiders scare the crap out of me," said Nene."  
  
"Uh-huh, I'm going to have to agree with my sister on this one."   
  
Lina didn't even bat an eye. "Suit yourself. Timothy, give me a boost up there?"  
  
It took a little teamwork, but soon enough, Lina, Sylphiel and Gourry were all in the crawl space above the hallway. Soon, they would climb up the ladder into the darkness of the tower.  
  
Lina poked her head out from the ceiling trap door. "Are you coming, Timothy?"  
  
"No, go ahead. I'll lead the twins out of the city."  
  
"OK! Good Luck!" waved Lina, "and don't forget to tell Zelgadis where we went."  
  
"Hai! I will!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
The boarded up window smashed inward into pieces, littering the floor with debris. The chimera, wrapped in his cloak of black, swung in from the outside line that he used to climb the tower. All in all, Zelgadis looked quite naturally at home entering into the dark chamber.   
  
"Come on..." he signaled out the now open window. "Get inside!"  
  
"No." Amelia's voice was shallow from being outside. "Its not right."  
  
"Now, what did we talk about back in the room?" Zelgadis' voice was cold and stern; he was not a happy chimera.   
  
"Ok. I know, but-"  
  
Zelgadis' voice was firm. "No buts. I can't have you hanging around outside all night, sticking out for some guard."  
  
A bit more coaxing by Zel, and Amelia was safely inside the darkened tower. Frustrated, Zelgadis lit off a candle with a match.,   
  
It was then they saw it was a library. Even though the place was dark as night, dust was not at home to this dark and dingy library. It was apparent that the place had been cleaned up and kept in good repair, they could tell because it really lacked the cobwebs.  
  
The colors of the library spoke of the power of darkness. Everything was the color of blood-red, the color of Shabranigudo and his minions. From the blood-red carpet to the blackened shelves, everything was as dark as night. Even the candles were made of dipped blackened wax. The place where chrome and polish was evident was a dull at best, as it seemed only to reflect the redness of the room. It was a chilling sight indeed.  
  
"Spooky place." Amelia was trying to light a candle, her shaking hands threatened to put out her match. "Why couldn't they make it a little more bright and cheery."  
  
Zel was already thumbing through the shelves of worn books. "Bah, junk. These spell books are close to useless. Who would want to summon a jellyfish anyway?"  
  
"I don't know, but Lina keeps calling Gourry that."  
  
He ignored Amelia's comments. "Let's look around. Search on the other side of the library for anything interesting."  
  
"Hai."  
  
The chimera wasn't haven't much luck. 'Grow you hair so it attacks' was not an interesting book. 'Turn you loved one into a frog' seemed too amateurish. 'Fifty ways to fake Dragon Cuisine' was especially undelightful. He was close to giving up when Amelia yelped out in pain.  
  
The chimera bolted over to the other side of the library, his sword drawn. He saw Amelia with her ass on the ground. "What happened?"  
  
"Those books...they shocked me. I can't seem to touch them."  
  
The chimera ran his hard close to the spine of the one of the hard covers. Little shocks came out of the binder almost like tiny lightening bolts, going from the binding into his fingertips. The strong protection spell was quite harmless against the stony skin of Zelgadis.  
  
"These books are frightfully protective, for you anyway." Zel walked over to one of the other nearby bookshelves with earnest. Again, the shelves were surprising dust-free for such a dark and dingy room. The books were in surprising good condition.  
  
"Ahhh...perfect." He pulled out one of the older looking volumes. Who says you can't pick a book by its cover?   
  
First, he examined the condition of the spine. The book had given off a couple of minor annoying shocks, but soon the volume was quite dead. "To be in this good of shape and with protection enchantment, it must be something important."  
  
"Really, you think so? I've never seen an enchanted book before." Amelia fawned over the chimera's shoulder as Zel opened the the novel.  
  
It creaked open like a casket as pages came to view, illuminated by candlelight. At first, Zel couldn't see words or symbols, but then they gradually came into his focus.   
  
He growled, dropping the book and grabbing another enchanted volume and cracking it open for his eyes to see. It was after his fourth that he really got angry.   
  
"Aaaggh!!!" He snapped the volume shut in utter disgust and tossed it across the room. "These books are all written in code! I'd have to decipher it before I could even start to understand them."  
  
"What! Really?" Amelia held the chimera's arm, pushing it down for a second. "Let me see. Now!" She saw the code with her own eyes, but alas, could not understand the writing.   
  
"Why would they do that?"  
  
A knock of the floor scared the both of them. "Those are some rats in the floor, Zel." As they grouped closer together, there was another louder knock was followed by the breaking of wood.  
  
"Uh-huh, I don't think those are rats, Amelia." Zel was a calm as ever, as he took out his sword.  
  
Red hair popped out from the new hole in the planking, then the rest of a person. Dust settled which revealed a very dirty and annoyed Lina Inverse. "Hi guys. Fancy meeting all of you up here."  
  
Zelgadis lifted the sorcerer out of her newly formed hole. "Good to see you up here, Lina. Been talking to Xellos again?"   
  
"Nope, heard it from Timothy, actually. I'm assuming you're looking for the 'magic box' then?"  
  
Zelgadis was dusting Lina's hear of cobwebs as Amelia helped Sylphiel & Gourry through the hole in the ground. "It's call the Lynx box, according to Xellos. He sent us to do his dirty work."   
  
Amelia opened her mouth for a second, but a very hard stare from Zel kept her trap shut.  
  
"Heh, figures. I haven't seen that Mazoku fellow yet. I guess he knows I'm more irritated right now." Lina batted her eyes in disgust. "Turnip is after our ass, and we figured his little gizmo is up here, spreading all its wonderful joy in the world."  
  
"Yea, some joy. Whatever this thing is, its blocking all of our magic."  
  
"You're telling me," exclaimed Amelia, "at least there's plenty of guards in this city. They keep the place nice and safe." She thought back to her encounter with mad Thoth and shuddered.  
  
"Anoo, unless they're after you," said Lina. "I can't wait to get to the bottom of all this."  
  
Zelgadis chuckled. "Gourry, are you all right? You seem a bit hazy and quiet."  
  
The swordsman burped. "Oh, it's nothing. Really."  
  
Lina stared at Gourry.   
  
"Lina! Come here!" The soft voice of Sylphiel interrupted Lina's story.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, Sylphiel. I'm coming."  
  
The rest of the group joined the shrine maiden on the far side of the darkened library, where they found the purple haired one in a lull. She was intensely staring at the wall tapestry as if were the most important thing in the whole world.   
  
"Wow," stuttered Amelia. "I've never seen anything like it."  
  
The tapestry took up most of the far wall, for it was at least ten or so feet high and at least twice as wide as its height. Around the corners, were pictures of dragons, flying left and right, to and fro. Even thought they were in dragon form, they held in their claws a shield and a spear. Each of the shields was emblazed with a lightening rod.   
  
But it was the center of the tapestry that took the center of attention. It was of a city -- no, a golden city of tall and delicate spires. Towers reaching far into the air, almost touching depth of space. The vertical city was clustered rather closely as it floated...on a cloud. Great, magnificent plums of clouds surrounded the base of the city, supporting the entire structure and giving it a look of pure fantasy. Next to the city were great channels of water, flowing among the layers of white. It was a sight.  
  
"Oh Cepheid. It's such a story," commended Sylphiel, still spellbound from the beautiful tapestry.  
  
"Story, what story?" asked Lina.  
  
"Well, it was a tale that my father used to tell me. It was called the City of Clouds. It was a place of heavens, that you could never reach beyond the great barrier."  
  
Everyone hushed quiet.  
  
"The story goes that the city floats among the heavens of this world, only coming down on the opposite side of rainbow. Those who souls you actually seen the city of the clouds with their eyes are supposedly blessed by the great Cepheid himself. It is supposed to be the most holy of places, for the magic they practice is supposedly like no other in the world."  
  
"How come I haven't seen this city or even heard of this fairy tale?" asked Zelgadis.  
  
"I don't know," said Sylphiel. "The City of Clouds is supposedly just a myth, that's all. I've never heard of anyone seeing the city in our lifetimes."  
  
"I'm not convinced that this city was real. After all, it sounds like a children's bedtime story." The chimera was not amused.  
  
"Well, a lot of stuff that is unbelievable to us has come true," said Lina. "Sometimes I don't believe it for myself either." The sorcerer twirled around the room. "Amelia, did you find anything else interesting here?"  
  
"Yea," answered Amelia. "There are these books that shock you."  
  
"Really? Let me see!" The ladies ran off the enchanted stacks. Lina rushed right over to the stack, grabbing the closest book to her fingers. The enchanted hardcover did was every other book had done and kindly zapped the sorcerer.  
  
"Ow! Baka!" The novel stumbled out of Lina's hands to the floor. This didn't deter her one bit from reaching down and trying again.  
  
"Damn it! What the hell are you!" She playfully kicked the volume in anger across the floor.  
  
"A book that doesn't want to be read," Zelgadis mumbled. "It seems I'm the only one who can touch them with no affect."  
  
"Really?" asked Lina. "Let me try something." She quickly turned to an approaching Gourry.   
  
"Gourry dear" Lina's voice was as smooth as silk. "Could you pick up that book for me?"  
  
Gourry wordlessly picked up the fallen enchanted novel on the floor and handed it to Lina. "Here you go-"  
  
"AIIIIGH!!!" The book seemed to get an extra bit of zap into Lina this time. "Baka!" The sorcerer could only hold on to it for a half-second as the book bounced onto the floor, this time with its pages opened.  
  
Gourry was as swift as ever. "Oh, I'm sorry. Let me get that for you-"   
  
"No! Don't." Lina tugged at Gourry's shirt, making sure the swordsman didn't come near the book again. "I like the book there -- leave it!"  
  
"Lina! Look!" Amelia pointed to the open page in the book, of a very familiar drawing.   
  
Sure enough, the book was showing a drawing of a city. Not just any city, but the City of Clouds.  
  
"Hmmm, I'm sure these books are connected with our old fable here. Zel, you said you could touch the books. Right?"  
  
"Hai," said Zel, "but what point would I have to a book I can't read," he questioned.  
  
"I don't know. But take it with us, it's the first real clue that the City of Clouds may not be a mysterious place after all." She gripped as her aching hands at the same time. "I'm sure of it, now."  
  
"Well, where to now?" Asked Sylphiel. "We still haven't found the magic box yet."  
  
"Yea, it's got to be higher in this crazy tower. How about if we go up the stairs, here?" Lina looked at the circular staircase that was hidden among the central stacks of books. The iron works looked rickety at best.  
  
"Those stairs?" Amelia gulped.  
  
"Let's go." Lina almost ran up the iron circular walk way as it seemed to climb the center of the tower. No rooms lined the inside of the tower, it was just a great big open space with the iron spiral of stairs going up. They were up twenty flights at least when the stairs finally led to a small room capping the tower. Most of the tower roof was exposed to the outside elements.  
  
Lina walked into the outside corridor, the rest of the group slowly came out with her, still seemly attached at the hip. "Let's go, I don't know what you're so scared of."  
  
The night air was cold but well lit by the large half-moon in the sky. A very slight breeze swirled around, swishing Lina's cape around her legs.  
  
The sorcerer could almost smell it in the air, for it was like her sixth sense. This was quite special. "Careful everyone. Wizards and sorcerers have always had a sense of their magic and the magic of others, especially when they are shouting their chaos words." The heair on the back of her neck was electric, for she knew something was up. "I feel something around here guys, and it feels very familiar..."   
  
No one said a word as they crept further into the open tower courtyard. They were so high that not a blade of tree nor wall could be seen over the tower banisters.  
  
Lina continued her spoken tale. "During the time of imagination of words into images, during that exact moment; a sense, a distinction come to form. Almost as an itch, a sorcerer can tell the point of a spell from nothingness to creation. "  
  
"I feel it too," responded Zelgadis.  
  
Sylphiel nodded as well.  
  
"Each of us is able to control a bit of chaos, more and more each day," said Lina. "Though the reason for more advanced spells come with practice, knowledge, and repetition. Something, that's all it is."  
  
"Uh-huh." nodded Amelia. "Is that why I can't seem to fry evil doers with Dragon Slave?"  
  
Zelgadis grumbled, "Well, that's one reason."  
  
They continued to walk along the roof in the moonlight. "This time, " Lina murmured to herself, "this time..."  
  
"Lina?" asked her sidekick of a blond bodyguard. "Ummm, something's growing out of your hair." Gourry said it blandly as he pointed to Lina's red mane rather childishly.  
  
"Whaaa!"  
  
"Uh-huh. Right there!" Gourry pointed for everyone to see as the rest of them curiously grouped around the petite sorcerer.   
  
Indeed, there was something popping off Lina's head. At first, it was very faint, almost like a dark and foreboding shadow. The sudden saturation of stillness did not stop it from fluttering like a miniature torch of fire. It flickered dark maroon on and off, as it were under the influence of the strong winds.  
  
"Where?" Lina was a bit hysterical. "Am I no fire?"  
  
"No," pointed out Zel. "At least I don't think so."  
  
"Now I see it," commented Sylphiel. "It looks nice. And it glows."  
  
Lina sweat dropped. She couldn't as well see the top her own head, butt wasn't like it felt like fire-  
  
"Zel, your head!" shouted the sorcerer, pointed to chimera's head.  
  
The blue one was also now flame-tipped with a matching faint strip of blue flicking over his stony spiky hair. "Oh, brother."   
  
"I think we should go," as Lina pointed to the opposite site of the tower yard, "this way..."  
  
The feelings became stronger, as the sorcerer's mind was being slowly drawn into a stream of magic. No, not magic. Of chaos. It was of a power she couldn't explain. Her hair, for she could see even on the reflection of her chaos stones on her wrists, was now almost ablaze in the same dark maroon color, spewing out energy at an alarming rate. Almost illuminating the area beside her; the shower of light wasn't pure nor touchable, but barely something touchable. Chaos spoke to her not as a language, but as an emotion; for under her breath Lina could feel the flowing out of her soul.   
  
Following their instincts, they followed Lina followed their path away from the central spire and out into a larger open-aired courtyard. Each step forward became a new experience, indeed.  
  
"Amelia! You have one too!" shouted Gourry. The rest of the group looked at the short princess with a small shower of silver energy coming from her head. It was then that Lina turned around to look at Sylphiel.  
  
The purple shrine maiden was also springing a flame of chaos. It was the color of pure white; even its sparkle from the stream of energy seemed so much brighter than Lina's glow. The purity and goodness of the flame shone like a newborn star, a light that was absolutely without impure colors.   
  
"Sylphiel, I had no idea..." blindly said Lina, staring into the shrine maiden's light.   
  
Amelia had her own silver highlights, but she could only gaze at the clearness of Sylphiel's chaos. "You look so absolutely beautiful, as a shrine maiden could only look."  
  
Sylphiel blushed red, her arms crossed over in total embarrassment. "I didn't know that this was going to happen...really."  
  
Lina came back from her position to consult with everyone. "Luckily, I don't see this as a problem yet. We don't have any powers right now, its not like the chaos streams are hurting anything."  
  
"Are you sure?" answered Zelgadis.  
  
"No, not really." She turned back to Sylphiel. "Now, try to keep that chin up of yours. OK?"  
  
"Yes, Lina."  
  
Zelgadis gestured with his hands to continue forward. When they all stepped forward, it was Lina that had to turn around and look at Gourry.  
  
The swordsman was keeping to himself, kicking a small rock across the tower courtyard. If everyone had a chaos stream -- it was Gourry that didn't have one. Not a hair on his blond head was glowing at all.  
  
Poor Gourry, thought Lina. Sometimes he really needs his sword of light back. "Hey Gourry!" she shouted. "Aren't you going to protect me?"  
  
The swordsman raised his depressed head up. "Hai!"  
  
Amelia interrupted with a shout from the side of the tower rooftop. "Over here, Lina! There's something you should see!" Her voice seemed threatened as they turned the corner to the other side.   
  
The princess stood agape to the center of attention in front of her. Her mouth was open, but silent nevertheless. She took to leaning on Lina, using her for support while her eyes stared forward at the scene unfolding before her very eyes.  
  
Lina kippered up, "I believe we found what we're looking for."  
  
Above Lina, her own chaos seemed to throb even louder with excitement. Disturbed that its secret had been found out, it drifted up and away as if it were still alive. It churned in a vortex of colors and energies above their position, swirling like a giant pinwheel of stars. Below the whirlpool of energy, it cascaded from a cone into a narrowest of funnels--  
  
Into a box.  
  
Only about a foot tall, the box was a whole lot thinner than taller. Nevertheless, every eye from the group looked impressively on its surface.   
  
"Wow." Lina took dainties of steps forward as she looked closer. Even at her short height, she still had to squat down a bit to see the gilded form of the golden box. Parts of the box were carved in the shapes of moons and clouds. Where there were no exterior carvings, the chaos box glowed like a slow beat of illumination from shear excess of chaos energy, then it would fade and repeat. This gave the impression that chaos box was actually alive.  
  
"I've never seen anything like this." as she stared at the Lynx box. "Do you have any idea...Zel?"  
  
Everyone else was no longer looking as Lina nor the chaos box, but at Zelgadis. The chimera was staring at his now uncloaked hand and arm, which instead of the pure chimera form of stone; was swirling with the energies of chaos.   
  
Chaos energy flamed around his flesh, bubbling and boiling his skin around in great currents of energy, sweeping away the chimera blueness. As it dissipated, a human form slowly came to light. Surely enough, his form was turning towards normal flesh. He looked at his other arm for a second, and saw his stone chips dissolve like mud and pinkish fully fleshed skin to appear.  
  
The rest of the group could only watch the former chimera, his face still stony but dissolving in the bath of chaos energy -- right before their eyes. It was as if Zelgadis had been dipped in magic waters, the effect of his chimera complexion was slowly fading away.  
  
"Zel!!!" shouted Lina.  
  
"Unbelievable!" Amelia was more hyper than usual. "Your quest!"   
  
"I'm..." The former chimera clutched his body and pinched himself, not believing his wishes were coming true. Falling to his knees in disbelief, his now human eyes dropped tears. "I...can't believe...that Xellos."  
  
"What," shouted Sylphiel, "what about..."  
  
Zelgadis was on his knees, tearing. "That he told me...truth."  
  
"Be careful, Zel." Lina eyed the shadows beyond the chaos box as they danced against the light of excess chaos. "Xellos has never been so forgiving."  
  
"Shhh..." Amelia was helping the former chimera as she glomped his human hand. "Hold it there, Zel. Take it one step at a time."   
  
"But, but..." His heart raced with such excitement. "My whole life, I've been searching-"  
  
"Hey, quiet!" Lina's eyes darted away from the group and into the shadows. "We've got company."  
  
A large gaggle of Turnip security guards emerged from the hidden darkness, each member armed with their small crossbows, pointed at Lina and company. Behind them, another standing shadow emerged. Easily identifiable from all the obnoxious signage and posters, it was Turnip himself.  
  
"I thought he would be bigger," said Zelgadis.  
  
Lina shot the former chimera a dirty look.   
  
"Ah, the great Lina Inverse reduced to a mere mortal. How delightful to meet for the first time...and might I add, for the last time..."  
  
The guards edged closer, awaiting their deathly orders  
  
The red-headed sorcerer didn't answer to Turnip's threats. Instead of directly looking into Turnip, she chanted chaos words into her hands...  
  
"You, who are darker than twilight..."  
  
"Lina?" said Sylphiel  
  
"Are you crazy!" Zel was backing up, with the rest of them in two.  
  
"...who are more crimson than flowing blood..."  
  
"We're all going to die!" Amelia ran around Zel for a second, her hands up like the sky was falling.  
  
Her anger bubbled, as if fed by the fear of her comrades. She didn't care anymore. She knew that they would survive, she just didn't know how.  
  
"...You and I together will give ruin and no one can escape from us..."  
  
"DRAGON SLAVE!"   
  
The spell ignited in her hands all warm and strong with a burst of a brilliant flame.  
  
Then without even a puff, it burst like an air balloon and was gone.   
  
"Wha...wha...what happened!" The sorcerer looked into her empty hands, as she tried the grasp at the vast amounts of chaos energy around her.  
  
For above Lina's head, the flames of chaos colors swirled with luminance never seen by a moral eye before. The maddening chaos glowed like fire, its path drawing into the sky and trying to escape its doom, sweeping across in a tornado of energy...down into the chaos box.  
  
"No!"   
  
"Nice try." Turnip backed off a few feet behind his guards, grinning all the way. "But it won't work. I know it will never work." He smiled and pointed forward at Lina's company. "Kill them! Bring their heads to me!"  
  
"Eeek!" screamed Amelia.  
  
The first row of troops drew their crossbows to a armed position has they kneeled, the second row took up the gaps right behind the first row. A second later, the air was filled with flying arrows.  
  
Lina was scared.  
  
There were times when the all-powerful Lina Inverse had her monthly curse. There were times that Lina had faced down the lords of the Mazoku. There were times that she even faced the gods from other worlds. There were times when the entire world was in the grasp of her small, tiny hands.  
  
This was not one of those times.   
  
Powerless. Not gods, not a Mazoku. A power and magic she knew nothing about, against humans that her own powers had been toothless. Nor did she know when her own magic was to return and come back.   
  
Lina was truly scared.  
  
She luckily dodged the first volley of arrows. She was about to jump into the air again, when the sorcerer was suddenly pushed to the ground.   
  
"Lina, stay down!"  
  
"Gourry..."  
  
The redhead was covered head to toe by Gourry's armor and body. For once, Lina was glad that she was a smallish, petite woman, easily hiding under Gourry's larger armored body.  
  
"I'm fine, really..." But she didn't even think about her protected self as she looked back at the rest of rest of them. She saw the Saillune princess was first; the quick and nimble girl was already peeking safely from behind a barrel. She flashed her 'OK' motion with her fingers to Lina in delight. And Zelgadis, thought Lina, would surely OK with his rock-hardened body; he would be able to protect Sylphiel from danger as well.  
  
But only if Zelgadis was a chimera.   
  
He moaned for a second, the sound loud even with the half a dozen arrows stuck in his back. Behind him, Sylphiel was on her knees, untouched and protected by the former chimera's sacrifice.   
  
"Heh." Turnip laughed from his gut, for it was an ugly sound to hear. He levitated into the air from behind his troops, the scepter in his left hand glowed animosity with chaos power.  
  
Lina stood up from off the ground, her weight leaning on Gourry who was still crawling on the courtyard floor. Beaten up a bit from a couple of arrows stuck in the clinks of the armor, his body was mostly unscathed. The sorcerer looked back again at Sylphiel, who had Zel leaning on her as she tried to tend to the former chimera's wounds.   
  
Zelgadis growled, a bit softer now as he wisped for air between words. "I'm fine, really...just give me a minute to..." He coughed and choked up a few drops of human blood. "To rest."  
  
The expressions on Sylphiel and Amelia's faces were grave indeed.  
  
"Turnip!" Lina's eyes blazed wide open with anger.   
  
"Ms. Inverse." Turnip was now twenty feet above his guards, floating around like a nice and easy target. "Do you honestly expect me to accept your unconditional surrender?"  
  
"You have no right!"  
  
"I have no right? It wasn't I who didn't pay her Inverse Tax..." Turnip mocked poor Lina by pointing his index finger at her.   
  
"That's not the reason!"  
  
"Ahhhh, true. But it wasn't you who plan the save the orphans house, it wasn't you who snuck into my private library, and it certainly wasn't you who is on this roof...doing who knows what. It is true, then, I that have other reasons to eliminate you"  
  
"No." Lina stared up blandly at Turnip. "Chasing us around your crazy casino all night. Trying to capture us, eliminate us..." She pulled out her short sword and pointed it up toward the mad leader. "If you expected us to surrender, then you don't know of me at all."  
  
Turnip sneered. "Surrender. Hardly." He raised his scepter high into the air; as if on cue it glowed angrily of light energy, a twin in likeness to the very chaos box. "No, I expect you to die!"  
  
"Lina!" Gourry was up and about, now standing in front of his protectorate. Facing upward into the sky, he spoke hoarsely toward Turnip, "I will not allow you to continue!"  
  
"Gourry..."  
  
"You're going to have to go through me, Gourry Galbrev."  
  
Turnip smirked. "Fine. I have no problem the that..."  
  
"Baka!" Lina couldn't believe Gourry stupid chivalry in these moments. Once again, he was throwing his life in front of her body in a futile chance to save her live. Though it was a nice gesture.  
  
"Guards!" shouted Turnip, "Attack positions! Await my final orders!"  
  
They responded instantly like the well-trained solders they were. In perfect formation, they loaded their crossbows, the new arrow points ready to fire.   
  
Turnip laughed. "It's no use, Lina Inverse. I shall enjoy carving your name on my dinner table, next to all the other victims that have suddenly 'disappeared' from Monte Darlo."   
  
No! thought Lina, there was no way she was going to let this second-rate madman win. Anything would do...anything...come on!... Think! What to do...what to do...  
  
And the corner of her eye caught something in the distance.  
  
She reached behind into her far back pocket, well hidden from view and quite impossible to find in a search. It was there she found her objective -- and pulled out her pistol.  
  
"Eh? What is this?" Turnip's eye brows shot up in suspense.  
  
"You know very well, damn you." Lina was in no mood to play games.  
  
"Ah," responded Turnip, with a sign of recognition. "I heard of such new primitive weapons. No matter, I'm well aware of their capabilities. They are quite useless in piercing my personal shield of protection."  
  
Lina held the pistol up, squarely at Turnip. Her arms faintly shaking while she bit on her lip. "We shall see."  
  
Turnip's specter started to glow again, its power ever-so increasing, feeding on the chaos energy that swirled around him. Lina could see his face, wishing that the evil act of her own destruction was only a second away. "Time to say goodbye, Lina Inverse."  
  
And then, Lina pulled at her arms in, aiming the pistol downward.  
  
"No! Not that!"  
  
She fired.  
  
"Nooooooo!!" Turnip yelled, his lighted specter blinked furiously at the moment of it all.   
  
Lina's shot straight away across the tower rooftop, its detonation echoed among the stone courtyard walls. The gun had not been aimed at Turnip, but at the chaos box. It neatly intersected the far upper corner of the box; Lina's aim had been just off. But it made it nevertheless, chipping off a precious tiny corner. The damage at first seemed quite minimal. But clearly something was wrong as the chaos energy flowed out like it was emerging steam from a cooker pressure.   
  
"You Bitch!!"  
  
Chaos was mad, chaos was fuming. The box that had once held such powers of the desired shouted in frustration, its internal energies yearning to be freed. The box throbbed in illumination, its walls suddenly hairline spidering with hot-white cracks. The controlled chaos once held hostage was now freed -- untapped, unabashed, a force that was to be reckoned with.  
  
"What have you done!!" Turnip's face was scared shitless.  
  
And then, all hell broke loose.  
  
The chaos box didn't just crack open like an eggshell, but it disintegrated as the raw chaos freed itself, rushing out like light itself, thundering as it quickly overtook Lina and her companions, Turnip, and the entire tower. A mix of light and chaos filled the air, circulating high into the starry sky, swirling at an incredible rate, a tsunami wave of energy. It was green, then blue, then purple. Then, it was on top of them.  
  
"What...have I done," spoke Lina, under her breath.   
  
"Lina!" yelled Gourry just before the wave hit them both square on.  
  
Chaos streaked out across the sky, like a tidal wave. Spreading out in all directions, it swept across the darkened horizon.   
  
The sheer force drove Lina and Gourry all the way to the other side of the roof tower. The sharp, inward-bending railing of stone trapped their thrown bodies safety from a fall.  
  
Turnip's guards had not been so lucky. Closer to the near wall, many of the guards were thrown off the tower roof to their impending doom. The few that were left were in no condition to move, their huddled bodies were battered and broken.  
  
Thunder quieted as the last of the chaos streaked into the darkness. The air was no longer charged with such strange and foreign energy, such aberrant energy had dissipated to nature itself. Only the moonlight shone down on the quiet tower; only the wind could be heard.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Xellos was busy holding one of the many enchanted books, scanning it over a lit candle. Hot wax poured onto the left page that he had just read, ruining it. Below his feet were other books read by Xellos, their pages permanently waxing together from his handiwork.  
  
The tower shook. Violently. Books fell off shelves, a bit of ceiling cracked as plaster collapsed. He could see the night sky had become illuminated through the broken library window.  
  
"Ahhh." Xellos gems on his neck glowed for a second has he took a quick breath. He reached into the astral plane for a second, pulling out his staff to reality. "That feels a lot better."  
  
More ceiling gave way, dropping pieces of hot ash and fire from above. Placing the book into the library rack, he nudged the entire shelf a bit hard, tipping the old wooden rack in the awaiting smoldering floor. "Oh, dear. How clumsy of me..."  
  
He looked up at the tapestry, of the City built on Clouds. Magnificent towers, bridges, and buildings, built impossibly on substance that was almost as light as air. Fire licked at the bottom of the tapestry as it ignited, the very image burning away.   
  
"I must make sure." Grinning, Xellos disappeared just before a fiery wooden timber crashed down, igniting up the rest of the library.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Gourry was still holding onto Lina, embracing her petite body when she awoke. The sorcerer looked down into her hands, the wooden firearm cradled in its fired position. She could feel Gourry stirring around her once more; she dared not to move. It was actually in comfort, for Lina was quite content to lie on Gourry, just as long as she was doing the lying.  
  
It all had been rather apparent to Lina: if Gourry hadn't pulled her down, she would have been a pancake on the faraway ground.  
  
"Lina." Gourry's voice was parched and dry. "Are you ok?" The soft sound of the swordsman's voice was as soothing she had ever heard. "I didn't think that we'd..."  
  
"Hush, Gourry." She turned to him once again, looking into that face of her once and always protector. The blond hair, the eternal charm, it was...devastating. Somehow, she thought, she would always be there for Gourry, and Gourry would always be there for her. Almost like...   
  
"Zel!"  
  
Lina was up in a dash, running to back of the tower courtyard.   
  
"Zel!"   
  
Sylphiel was still leaning over the form of Zelgadis, with Amelia wrapped on the other half of the former chimera's body. They had not moved far from the former chimera's position.   
  
"Lina..." Sylphiel was up first, stirring around. She stirred up Amelia with a tug on the shoulder, and the princess awoke as well.  
  
"He's cold...he's..." Amelia's eyes watered sadly as deep and ugly thoughts ran through her mind. She started to tear, the drops of pain falling on Zel's cloaked body.  
  
"He's got no pulse..." Sylphiel voice was cold and heartless as it could be. She chanted her holy spell, but the magic seemed to have little effect. His body had no need for healing. "No..."  
  
No!, thought Lina, it couldn't end like this! Never could it end up like this. Too much time had been at stake, for Zelgadis had searched for so much of his life to become human. To end up dead only a few minutes after his goal...would be unthinkable.   
  
Lina motioned to the shrine maiden to help her turn over the cloaked body of Zelgadis. And in flipping him over, revealed a face, arms, and hands...of a chimera. It was his cloak that had covered his second transformation from a human back into his former. Where arrows had pierced and stabbed at his soft human skin, were healed with stone-like scabs. His body, now completely mended, expired cold air once again.  
  
"Zel..." Lina shouted.   
  
Eyes fluttered open.  
  
"Zel!" Amelia glomped onto Zelgadis' arm, holding him as tightly as she could humanly grasp.  
  
"Amelia....Lina...." His voice was tired...very tired. The chimera reached around dimly at first and tried to get up. He was sternly pushed back to the ground by the hands of Sylphiel.   
  
"Wha...happened?" He reached up into the sky with his hands, almost as an afterthought. The sleeves of his cloak because of gravity, slid down his arms to his elbow. It only revealed the truth of his body, faster than the three ladies could say anything more...  
  
"No...No...it's not possible!!" Zel stared at his limb, the familiar stony blue skin actually shone against the dim moonlight. He bent his arm around in other angles, his eyes shone with such acuteness that they could have burned sin away. The chimera could only now imagine the human flesh that was once on his bones.  
  
"To be human, that is my goal. It's a simple task, isn't it?" He shivered slightly as he spoke his words, dropping his arms again.  
  
"I didn't have a choice, Zel." Lina's moist, red hair covered her tearing red-soaked eyes. The sorcerer held her head low, unable to look into the eyes of the chimera. "You were going to die. We were all...going to die."  
  
"And therefore, my nightmare continues."  
  
And Zelgadis turned himself over and cried.  
  
  
---o--o--o--- 


	4. Chapter 4: Breakfast! Time for Plans!

---o--o--o---  
  
  
[Lina] Weah, that was a close one. I figured I'd be a goner for sure...  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Slayers: Clouds!  
  
Chapter 4:  
Breakfast! Time for Plans!  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Lina looked out at the sunset, its flaming colors, bright edges, and clouds that were dark and foreboding; the air was still and peaceful. The now setting sun had ignited the green valley into reds, yellows, and oranges. It was by all means, a beautiful site to behold.  
  
The outcropping was high, almost touching the low sky. The rest of the valley spread before her very eyes, for it was full of low rolling green hills, interrupted by a mountain or small plateau. Even at such an extreme height, she knew she was on the edge of something special.  
  
Instead of her usual content self, Lina chose to look outward into the valley. It reminded her of the travels with Naga: how she looked out at the setting sun, the clouds, and the future. Herself used to be content and wait protected among the rocks.  
  
But there was no Naga this time: only one Lina Inverse. This time, she took the position looking out for herself...towards an unknown future.   
  
Then, a snap of unexpected wind blew into Lina's face. A gust...no, a force much greater than a gust, for she could feel it far in the distance. At first, it shown itself to be a setting star; bright and shiny it lit up the far corner of the valley off into the horizon.   
  
However, in waves of dark greens and blue, the force grew, reaching for the sky as well as the closer grounds. It seemed to move faster as it accelerated; swallowing air and earth in giant gulps, its ever-so hunger never ending. Nothing was stopping it as shrubs, trees, then hills, just disappeared into the wave, an ever expanding ball of chaos.  
  
Lina could only watch.  
  
Behind her, gatherings of wild animals were running away, like mice leaving a sunken ship. It was then that Lina spotted her group of companions: Sylphiel, Amelia, Zel, and surprisingly Filia. They equally saw the advancing wave of energy and were very much aware of its landing. Her friends had already taken extreme defensive positions in a crude circle, preparing for the worst.  
  
Lina shouted but her voice carried no sound, at least no sound that her companions could hear. She tried to move toward them but her feet held fast as if locked in quicksand. There was nothing she could do.   
  
"Are we going to survive this?" Amelia was scared, her voice shrilling in desperation.   
  
"Dear Cepheid," said Sylphiel, her eyes growing scared.  
  
Filia could only plainly answer, as she looked up at the approaching destruction. "I don't know. We're sure going to try."  
  
The wave came quickly, sweeping across the valley closer and closer. The rawness of it spawned loose excess energy as blue and white lightening crackled among the darkened sky. The air was heavy with the stench of death.  
  
Zel and Amelia put their Balus walls up right away, with Sylphiel and Filia supplying other protective energy. Lina was sure that the four of them had put up enough energy to even block one of her enhanced Dragon slaves.  
  
The blue and green tinted wave was coming at an incredible rate. Whatever it absorbed quickly disappeared from their sight. As it was very near now; it accelerated even faster as if it could smell out targets to absorb.   
  
It hit them head on. Blue and white energy warped over Lina, blocking her view. It was as if she wasn't even affected by the tidal of energy; it was if she wasn't even there.  
  
Her companions did their very best with their fortified Balus Wall. But there was no plea, there was no time for screams. The protective barrier barely held for a second, the chaotic wave quickly swept her friends away.  
  
And then, it was gone.  
  
Lina walked over the untouched land, unable to explain her existence while her friends were no longer. No bodies, no blood, not a trace. The land seemly barely disturbed: there were trees and grass, even the campfire.   
  
She looked for signs of a struggle in the dirt where their final stand had taken place. She lifted up Zel's cloak from the sandy ground, as if it had been carelessly discarded. No bodies. Only her friend's empty clothes were left behind.  
  
A howl behind her startled Lina as she turned around and saw--  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"XELLLOS! Get your Mazoku face out of my bedroom!" Lina had a pillow in her hand, her arm corking it from a throwing position even though she was still lying in bed.  
  
"My, my, how cranky you are in the morning, Lina." Xellos, staff and all, had taken a step back from his leaning position over the sorcerer. "Maybe I should get you a bath or something?"  
  
"Take yourself out of my room! Now!" The pillow shot out of Lina's hand just missing the mysterious priest. "Otherwise, I will put that face where the sun don't shine."  
  
Xellos managed to transport himself safely to the other side of the bed. "Oh, dear me! Should I excuse myself?"  
  
"Yes," said Lina, "but I doubt you will."  
  
"Ah, so, you know me so well."  
  
Ugh, Lina thought, she didn't need this aggravation after such a rough night. Stretching herself in bed, the sorcerer noticed she had slept in her clothes. Getting upright, she leaned her head on her open palm, trying to spell out the events of yesterday.  
  
Damn. Nothing. Well, she surmised, thinking on an empty stomach was definitely the wrong thing to do.   
  
"I'm sure you'll want to join us for breakfast," the sorcerer said to Xellos. She quickly got out of bed and tidied up a bit in front of her mirror. "You can come if you pay."   
  
The trickster priest frowned. "Well, it's not like I carry currency around in this getup of mine. After all, what do I need with money? I don't live off eating, and my bed, oh how shall I say this...well it's a little like..."  
  
Lina turned her head around and gave Xellos the 'oh, that's rough I feel so sorry for you' look. "I should have known. Enough excuses to wake the dead which I'm sure you do."   
  
She looked at the grinning Xellos and scowled.  
  
"Get out."  
  
"Why, Lina...why would you say such things...errr..." Xellos made a couple of more steps backwards. "You can't be too hasty, Lina." It didn't take long for the mysterious priest to break out in a full retreat. "Lina??"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Xellos leaned against the hallway, waiting for the redheaded sorcerer to come out of her room. He whistled a little tune with is arms crossed, trying to bemuse itself. A chambermaid walked by, giving the Mazoku an ugly 'peeping tom' stare. Before he could say something rude, Lina's bedroom door opened and closed.   
  
"Took you long enough," chimed Xellos. "I was wondering what you were doing in there."   
  
Lina looked up at Xellos with a stare that would have made any except a Mazoku beg for mercy. "Let's go."  
  
Xellos blinked. "I'll be right behind you." And he smiled.   
  
Hmm, thought Lina, turning down the hallway of the inn. It was probably best to let Zelgadis sleep in this morning, especially with Xellos the puppy on her tail. She figured the twice-human chimera could definitely use some more rest time.   
  
"Come on Xellos, Zel needs his beauty rest."  
  
"He does?" said the mysterious priest. "But he's good looking already."  
  
Lina ignored the stalking Mazoku. Walking down the stairs with Xellos, she quickly found herself in the middle of the breakfast rush of their restaurant's inn. Amelia and Gourry were already sitting at a large circular table, with Sylphiel on the other end. They had started without Lina. Only the remnants of a light breakfast of a dozen or so empty plates were left; stacked neatly in the middle of the table. Sylphiel was busy drinking hot-chocolate again, keeping her hands snug around the warm cup.  
  
"Lina! Over here," waved Amelia, as she ate the last of her breakfast toast.  
  
"Morning." Lina sat down and let go, with Xellos popping in right behind her.  
  
The waitress was over in a flash. "Ok, I need the table soon, so be quick. Lots of hungry gamblers. No sharing plates, the minimum is five coins," she announced dimly. The girl had obviously been on her feet too long.  
  
"Right." Lina broke the menu open and ordered with her usual style. "I'd like here to here. And here to here. And these three specials."  
  
"Yes, Ma'am!" The waitress was gone in a second.  
  
"Lina," asked Sylphiel, "where is Zegadisl right now?"   
  
Lina looked squarely at Xellos. "He needs his rest right now, however I'm sure he'll be down later." At least her response seemed to calm the jumpy shrine maiden down.  
  
"Lina, I don't know why you're looking at me like that, it's not like I did anything...wrong." Xellos smirked his answer to Lina. "I didn't change him, the box did. He did it all on his own."  
  
"Then why did you tell him about stupid box anyway?" Lina's voice was icy and cold.  
  
"I didn't know you were here."   
  
Lina just flattened her hand on her face. "Figures."  
  
Amelia stood up, her voice charging. "And when Lina blew up the chaos box, it changed Zel back into his old form of a chimera. You knew that was going go happen."  
  
The mysterious priest blinked. "Actually, if the chaos box was to be removed from his presences, it is true that he would revert to his old form." Xellos took a sip of tea, much relaxed like his usual self. "The box is temporary either way, just like you have your powers back."   
  
Lina immediately responded. "And you didn't think to tell Zelgadis about this, did you?"  
  
"He didn't ask."  
  
"Why you-"  
  
A tumble answered her call, as something loud rambling down the stairs onto a landing near Lina's table. Patrons all over the restaurant were aghast in surprise at cloaked figure latterly rolling down the stairs.  
  
"Zel!" Sylphiel and Amelia were first out of their chairs.  
  
Lina rushed to the chimera's side, totally dropping her conversation with the mysterious priest.  
  
Zelgadis got up from on his ass into a crouched position. It was clear as day that Zel's moments were alert and crisp, as he stared down his group of comrades. He quickly took focus as he shook his head, clearing the cobwebs out of his system.  
  
"Are you ok, Zel?" chimed in Amelia. Seeing that the chimera was ok, she nevertheless asked the question.  
  
He grunted. "Ah...clumsy me. Dammed step reached out and bit me, I guess it was hungry."   
  
The girls chuckled at Zel's comments.  
  
"Why, I didn't think you had any humor in you, Zel..." said Lina, looking down at the chimera with a rather sarcastic look. The other patrons knew that nothing was up and had returned to their morning breakfast.  
  
The chimera hopped up off the floor, joining the group as they all sat again for breakfast. "It's unfortunate to see you so soon, Xellos. I had rather enjoyed my evening last night." He took an unused cup and saucer from the center of the table and poured himself some tea while staring down at the Mazoku priest-general.  
  
"Oh, it was nothing," callously laughed the priest-general.   
  
The chimera could only grumble at Xellos' dodgy answer, like he cared.   
  
"Well, heh," spoke up Lina, trying to break the ice between the groveling men, "I wanted to wait until everyone was here this morning." She leaned closer over the table, almost whispering. "I should tell you we've got quite a mystery on our hands."  
  
The group oooh'ed and aaah'ed, loving every minute.  
  
The sorcerer reached among her belt and tossed two objects onto the table. First was a piece of tan-grayish rock, seemingly of a broken corner of something square. Some of its outer surface was carved in recognizable patterns, yet it was quite unclear what it was exactly part of. The other piece was a sliver of crystal: white and clear as perfect ice, blurring the wood patterns of the table underneath it. The crystal was a few inches longer that wider, seemingly just large enough to grab with the fist.   
  
"The Lynx box," spoke Sylphiel, as clear as crystal.  
  
"I think its a piece of it," said Lina. "The color is right, so is the design. However, that's all that's left of it." The sorcerer mumbled a bit, sliding the broken piece across the table.  
  
"And the crystal, this wonderful gem. Yet, this sucker isn't a jewel though, I don't know who would buy such a piece." Lina picked up the crystal again and banged it onto the table. "Heh, the sucker is a tough old bird, isn't it?"   
  
"Have you tried an identification spell on it?"   
  
"No, but then I didn't detect any magic from it. I guess it can't hurt." The redheaded sorcerer put the jewel back onto the table. "IDENTIFY!"  
  
The crystal started to glow with magic, circling around the stone in waves of energy. Everyone was hushed, expecting some great sign, thinking the mysterious crystal would clearly identify itself. Alas, the magic field faded to nothingness.  
  
"Well its definitely not magical, my spell would tell me so. The blasted object is probably nothing but a cheap piece of jewelry."  
  
"Can I keep it?" asked Amelia, her face all excited. "I can make a necklace from it."  
  
"Hmmm, I think I'm going to hold onto it." It was out of the corner of her eyes that Lina noticed the chaos box piece was missing. "Hey! Where did it go!"  
  
"Oooh, what nice pictures on this thing." Gourry had the corner bit in his hand, spinning it in his hand from all different angles. He raised it into the air, shining it into the morning sun above his head.  
  
"Gimme that thing, you baby!" Lina reached out, swiping away the piece of chaos box from her protector. "I swear, Gourry, you get into the most trouble out of everyone I know."  
  
"But Lina," said Gourry, as he pointed to her hands. "I've seen that picture before. Just yesterday, I swear."  
  
"Baka! I've never seen these carvings in my life. And you're tell me that when I was with you yesterday that you saw these engravings?"   
  
"How about on the other side?" Gourry pointed with his finger the dark underside of the box piece.  
  
"Hmmm?" Lina voiced went up an octave as she turned the corner of the box around, squeezing with her eyes into the shaded corner. "My Cepheid, Gourry's right. There's something here I can barely make out." And she squinted her eyes for some extra effort.  
  
"Really?" Amelia reached over Gourry, almost on top of the table to see the hidden interior image. In fact, the entire group huddled around the table in hushing silence. Even Xellos leaned in to take a peek in.  
  
"An inlet of a cloud," announced Zelgadis. "I can barely make out the castle on top if it." He reached back for a second, stretching. "It's a makers mark for sure, a simple design."  
  
Xellos nodded. "It's from the City of the Clouds. After all, why mark a piece that's from some other forsaken place."   
  
"Really?" The Saillune princess was jumpy. "Why mark it from the fantasy island?"  
  
Lina sweat dropped. "Oh crap. You mean it's a real place?" She looked up at the mysterious priest who just shrugged her a standard response.  
  
"Well," interrupted Zelgadis, "Its hardly proof that it came from the City of the Clouds. After all, I could scratch up this table with the very same markings."   
  
"True, true," murmured Xellos.   
  
Lina turned to the right. "Sylphiel, you did say that your father knew about the City of the Clouds. Did he ever mention who they were built by?"  
  
"Not really. But now that I've thought about it, I think he told me ancient dragons lived there. We did see ancient dragons on the tapestry in the tower, but it was destroyed in the fire last night." The shrine maiden lowered her head. "I'm sorry, but it was a long time ago."  
  
Ancient dragons. Lina heart just stirred up hearing those two words. Ancient Dragons. They had almost not survived their dreaded fight with Valgaav, the last of the ancient dragons that had ever lived. It had been epic battle, beating Valgaav, Dark Star, and his minions from another plane of existence.  
  
But now there was a chance that Valgaav wasn't the last of the ancient dragon. Here might be the proof, that somewhere, Ancient Dragons lived. These secrets were just coming to light now -- secrets that the golden dragons had made sure to bury and forget. The ancient dragon's legacy was very much alive.  
  
Lina held the chaos box piece in her hand. Now, this piece of reality, from a 'fairy-land' that other people had only heard in bedtime stories. This was almost proof of a place...no, a magnificent city, those destruction had never been mapped. If there was chance that the City of the Clouds was still around, she was almost sure...that dragons had something to do with it.  
  
"Well," Lina cleared her throat. "I actually do know someone who knows what's going on for once. The identifier." She turned to the purple priest. "What's this all about, Xellos?"  
  
"Ah, the tale of the Cloudminders. I'm afraid it's a little before my time." Xellos stiffened up in his chair.   
  
"Talk, maggot," questioned Zel.  
  
Lina ignored the chimera. "Well then, tell me what you know of the Cloudminders?" She was up and out of her chair, adding a bit of a height advantage to the sitting Mazoku.  
  
Xellos straitened out his collar with his left hand while he also got up to stand. No one had ever sworn that he was sweating, but Lina was sure putting him on the spot. "Ah, to as much as you know is true...and the rest, well...that is a secret."  
  
Everyone tumbled.   
  
"I'm afraid that's not good enough, Xellos. Especially when this thing comes along and robs my magic while Turnip tries to kill me." During her words, Lina grabbed Xellos by the very neckline of his jacket. With precision, she managed to get Xellos' body halfway up the empty table behind him, determined to get the information she needed.  
  
"Now, Lina, don't be so hasty now," blinked the Mazoku.  
  
"Lina! What are you doing?" asked Amelia.  
  
"What do you think I'm doing?" Lina managed to get the passive Xellos in a headlock, playfully banging the Mazoku's body on the table. "I'm interrogating him!" She turned back to her current obsession.   
  
"Now, Xellos dear," questioned the sorcerer as she smiled into the face of the mysterious priest. Zelgadis coughed, but Lina had a quick second to stare down the chimera before getting back to her session. "Tell me something Xellos, otherwise..."  
  
"Anoo...but there's very little you can do to hurt me," chimed the purple priest. "Well...maybe if you..."  
  
Lina crept a little closer, leaning her mouth next to the priest's ears as she began to whisper...sweet nothings. Xellos was so astonished by the words that his body melted in the sorcerer's hands, any resistance he had before instantly drained away.  
  
"Anything....but Lina..." he exclaimed.  
  
Lina chanted quietly, her amulets on her wrists and neck responded by glowed open with power.   
  
"What the hell is she doing?" asked Sylphiel.  
  
Zel nodded. "I don't know the spell, but she's amplifying the effect. Whatever it is, its nasty." They watched as Lina's arms and hands glow with more magic. The chimera sat back and watched. "Damn, a magical headlock. That figures."  
  
"Popcorn?" Gourry had a small serving bowl taken from the bar area while they waited for more breakfast food.  
  
"Yeah, sure." Zel reached for a handful and took some bites. "This is the most fun I've had in years."   
  
Xellos wanted to run away with his body to the astral plane -- there had to be another way of doing this. But damn it, now that he had chosen to stay, he was a locked up for a while to say at least. He cursed as his head hit the table a bit harder. And he liked it a lot...  
  
"Something to say, mysterious one?" Lina eyed the purple priest and smiled. "I can go harder if you wish."  
  
Xellos sweat dropped. "Well...not a bad idea."  
  
Lina smacked Xellos' head on the table again, his time splintering wood but the sturdy table didn't completely fly apart. "Speak! You know you owe me one from waking my ass up this morning!"  
  
Amelia's chin almost hit the table, she was about to speak of cruelty if it wasn't for the chimera's nudge with the edge of his elbow.  
  
"Tell me what I want to hear!" Lina was now squeezing extra hard, her glowing arms threatened to shine Shabby red and flame the whole room.  
  
Xellos grabbed at his throat a bit, managing to speak as he gutted out a few words. "Its...to...the south...The south!!"  
  
"Ah, good boy." Lina let the priest-general go, her arms and hands quickly returning to their normal color. "It's so nice working with you Xellos." And she pushed him off the table in an undignified manner.  
  
The Mazoku stirred up to a standing position, straitening out his heavy cloaks. "Ah, so. Well, I think I'd better be going." With that announcement, he was gone in a flash.  
  
"Good riddance to trash," Zelgadis spawned.  
  
"Well, he did point us in the right direction." Lina smiled a bit. "He's so useful, I love it."  
  
Sylphiel opened his mouth to say something, but the look and nod from Zel told her not to say a word.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
More breakfast food arrived at the table, cutting into their conversation a bit while they ate.   
  
"So, we'll travel from here sometime tomorrow." Lina took up to eating a huge ham hock with her hands, the large piece of meat was easily double the size of her head. "That make sense for everyone?"  
  
Gourry nodded. "Now, what direction are we traveling now?"  
  
Lina bonked Gourry with the half eaten ham hock on top of his head. "Baka! He said south."   
  
"So, isn't that beyond the great barrier used to be?" asked Amelia. "I mean, we really don't know what's down there."  
  
There is was, new food. Gourry looked at the ham hock that Lina had conveniently used as a weapon -- she kept it there as a deterrent, but in actually it was the swordsman who was occupied as he fork and kniked into the ham hock.  
  
"That's true," said the sorcerer. "I wish we had some more information, Xellos is often 'lacking' in that area a lot." Lina turned back to look down the center of the table. "But I can't believe I'm still hungry; damn this empty stomach."  
  
It was then that she looked back at her ham hock meal -- and how Gourry was biting off the very last morsel of her breakfast, leaving her only with a dried up bone. Her eyes lit up like furnaces, her anger no longer could be contained.   
  
"Jellyfish!" She took the ham hock bone and slammed it down on Gourry's head once more, quite harder than her usual self.  
  
"Lina!" Sylphiel yelled.  
  
"How could you!" shouted Amelia.  
  
Gourry went flying across the breakfast floor, thought an empty set of tables, head first into the fireplace. Sylphiel ran right out of her seat to the fallen Gourry, with Amelia right behind her.  
  
"Stupid drunk baka last night, eating me out of breakfast. Do you know what he was like?" Lina looked up at the bone in her hand, the deadly weapon glistening in the light.   
  
Zelgadis just stared. "Yea, I do. He saved your ass from those crossbow arrows."  
  
The petite sorcerer could only nod her head downward in agreement.   
  
"You should be ashamed, Lina." Zelgadis eyed glazed over the red-headed sorcerer, ham hock bone still in her hand. She could believe the strength of her latest shot, Gourry hadn't even put up any sort of defense. She couldn't say a word as she turned away from the table. "You know what to do."  
  
Lina deserted the table with Zelgadis as they moved to over where the girls were treating the swordsman. The shrine maidens had Gourry sitting up, he seemed to be OK except for a bruised ego.   
  
Gourry looked up at the standing Lina, her eyes were tearing a bit as she stared down at her protector. "I'm...sorry. I just, don't understand why you put up with me all the time."  
  
"Lina, we've all been through a lot of stuff." Gourry shook his head, trying to get the spinning cobwebs out of his system. "I just was trying...a lot. That's all."  
  
Lina nodded, holding out her hand in a sign of goodwill. Gourry took it lightly, lifting himself off the mantle of the fireplace. "Gourry, sometimes, I don't...understand what I'm feeling..."  
  
"Lina..."  
  
"But I want to say something." The sorcerer tried to breathe the words out, but no other incoherent words came out of his mouth. "I never felt so...powerless..."  
  
Gourry brought his hand level, his index finger pointed up and placed it on Lina's lips. "Shhhh... You don't have to say a word." Lina immediately blushed red across her face, turned and ran back to the table with Gourry in tow.  
  
The shrine ladies could only sigh in amazement, "Amelia, Sylphiel, don't you think we have some breakfast to finish up?" Lina just looked up into Gourry's face, her action spoke much more than words.  
  
They sighed, going back to the breakfast table. "Ahh, love..."  
  
"What you do know about love?" the chimera asked.  
  
Amelia blushed a bit as they arrived back at their seats, only to discover they had a stranger among them, finishing away at their breakfast at an amazing rate. He had a familiar white hair, fiery eyes, and a dirty gray cloak.  
  
"Ummm, excuse me," asked Sylphiel.  
  
"Hey, look who's eating Lina's food!"  
  
Lina was back at the table in a flash, holding on Gourry in tow. "What do you think you're doing eating my food!" Lina's eyes lighted up, just like from a few minutes ago.   
  
"Don't hurt him!" yelled the Princess of Saillune, as she blocked Lina from attacking the stranger. "Don't hurt Thoth!  
  
"Thoth?" Lina sweat dropped as she watched the old man swallow a couple of more muffins in one bite. "He's more like an eating machine to me..."  
  
Behind the redhead, the chimera whispered closely into Lina's ear. "We knocked into Thoth in the casino. He felt up Amelia for a second, and now she can't live for one-"  
  
*SMACK!*  
  
Amelia's had her fist, straight down into Zel's head. "It's not like that at all, Lina!" She turned to the chimera, her fists still blazing in white. "How could you think that could happen to the princess of Saillune! I'm innocent, I tell you!"  
  
Zelgadis rubbed his sore stony head, trying to explain the matter to the rest of them. "Well, he did-" Amelia just glazed at the chimera with a look that could shatter glass. "Ummm, never mind."  
  
Amelia looked at Thoth and sighed. "He's just a misunderstood old man. Poor hungry guy."  
  
Lina didn't pay much merit onto Amelia's sideshow. Instead, she got right up to Thoth, yelling right behind his ear. "Hey! What do you think you're doing, eating my food!" Thoth ignored the sorcerer, and instead finished off a plate of sausages. "Listen up Old Man! You've got five second to explain yourself!"  
  
Thoth turned a bit toward Lina, his eyes still on the abundant foodstuff on the table. "You know, these muffins you have here are delish. Don't mind if I have two or three more, do you?"  
  
The fiery read-head could only growl, as she picked up a nearby fork. With one swing, she stabbed down at the table right in front of Thoth, pinning his beard to the wood.   
  
"Ow! That hurt!" The old man was clearly unhappy, his beard pinned onto the wooden table, his mouth stuck closed by the force of the sorcerer.  
  
"Heh, serves you right." Lina just smiled as she leaned towards Thoth's face. "Care to explain yourself, old man. Or should I call you 'Mad Thoth?'"  
  
"Errr, not really, in both regards by the way." The old white-haired man just closed his eyes. "I was hungry, that's all. I didn't hear anything about the City of the Clouds and stuff."  
  
Lina leaned into Thoth a bit closer, rubbing closely with the back of his neck. "Oh really? For an old boy, you've got pretty good hearing." She drew out her hands, placing them on Thoth's back. "Now, none of us would want something to happen to you...so listen up closely, ok?"  
  
Thoth sweated out of his cloak, his voice short and to the point. "I think I can help you out. I believe your purple-haired friend said something about going south."  
  
Lina looked into Thoth's eyes. "True. Have you any ideas?"  
  
Thoth coughed. "Turnip routinely goes south for the holidays, over an ancient bridge. He'd bring back lots of stuff: carpets, spices, girls, books, stuff like that."  
  
"How thoughtful. Remind me to give him a stopping list the next time we bump into him." Lina let the fork out of Thoth's beard land flipped him around by the table to face the mad one.  
  
"That's very nice of you." The old man wiped away at his beard, smoothing the edging so it was finally normal looking. "So where was I? Ah, that's right, I don't think you understand. There's only one way to get south, and that's across the ancient bridge. The ravine is just too much for someone to cross, you know, cause its haunted."  
  
"Haunted?" Amelia was in sheer scaredom.   
  
Zelgadis chuckled. "Its probably haunted, with ghosts and such."  
  
"Yea, fierce winds keep sorcerers from crossing the ravine with usual magic. To get around the ravine, you either have to sail around the coastline, or take the bridge." Thoth licked his lips, some jam had made itself at home and not his tummy. "To do so, otherwise...is death!"  
  
"Death!" Amelia's face turned a chalky white.  
  
Thoth looked up. "The ravine, of a name long forgotten, is so deep you can't even see the bottom. If one were to fall in, like many foolish solders and sorcerers have, only your voice would escape every so often, drifting to your comrades by the very wind that took your life!"  
  
"Eeeeeep!" The princess ducked under a nearby table for cover.  
  
"Ok, that's enough," said Lina. "I'm going to have sing Amelia to sleep for the next week, due to your very kawaii tale." The sorcerer turned around for a second at the other members of her crew. "Sylphiel, lets go take care of that tax bill and get out of here. It seems Turnip got his magical toys to the south, and so is the City of the Clouds. We're going that way to get some answers."  
  
The group nodded in agreement.  
  
"Lina?" asked Sylphiel.  
  
"Yes, Sylphiel?"  
  
"I'd like to...come along, if you don't mind. My work is done here."  
  
"Great! Everyone will meet at the front gate at noon. And get extra food, it could be a very long trip."  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Filia ul Copt, last of the golden Ryuzoku, the last of the dragons that had once served the Fire Dragon Lord, walked along the path to the city of Monte Darlo. It was here that Filia were surely meet Lina and company, for it was why she was here.   
  
One must ask how Filia knew Lina was close by? Well, on her way past a particular inn, she asked for the whereabouts to a Lina Inverse. The loyal patrons, on hearing those very words, grabbed their very own forks and dinner knives and chased the poor dragon right out of town.  
  
Luckily, an elderly gentleman pointed that the road Lina and company had taken, had lead to the city of Monte Darlo. A city full of casinos, inns, and buffet restaurant. A perfect place for Lina Inverse to go. Other rumors, had Lina escaping westward as well to avoid tax collectors, but Filia was not sure of this as well. No, Filia was sure that Lina would head for the passion in her life -- buffets.   
  
The old man had also relayed to Filia the latest gossip of news: Inverse Tax. It seemed that Inverse Tax had swept around the countryside, and now most restaurants and inns were charging this tax to not just Lina but all of their patrons. To Filia, it seemed to make perfect sense, for it was more on occasion that Lina and her comrades would blow up an unfortunate establishment on sheer lunacy. Still it was such a distraction to...  
  
Valgaav. Yes, Filia would very much miss the company of her fellow baby dragon. Even though the egg had not hatched, Filia would talk to the sleeping one, still curled up in his translucent shell. She terribly missed her little one, thinking about his future upbringing constantly. She was here because of him, however, nothing was more precious to her heart.  
  
A gust of wind blew her hair up, and at last, she could see the outer city walls of Monte Darlo. It had been a long and difficult journey for her, a trip that she had not wished to take. Nevertheless, she was looking forward to the fabulous spa services offered at the casinos, supposedly the mud pools were very therapeutic for her skin...errrrr, scales.  
  
No! It was not a time for rest and relaxation. It was a time for action, it was a time for completion. And it was time to find Lina Inverse.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Where are they?" Zelgadis tapped his foot impatiently at the gated entrance to Monte Darlo. "They were suppose to be here an hour ago."  
  
"I dunno, Zel. I can go into the city if you wish." Sylphiel had a pack by her feet, ready to go. "But I think Gourry mentioned lunch, so they stopped by for a second at a counter place."  
  
"Geez, I should have known." The chimera leaned impatiently next to the gatehouse.  
  
"I see them coming Zel" It was little Timothy-chan on the roof of the security tower. "They're coming now, I can see their large packs in the crowds."  
  
"I should have know, they must be filled with food."  
  
Lina, Gourry, and Amelia emerged from the entrance tunnel, each of them with huge backpacks of foodstuffs. "OK folks, I think we're ready to go. Have you get everything, Zel?"  
  
"I don't know, I was wondering if you had enough food with you," said the chimera. Timothy just snickered from above.  
  
Lina turned to her faithful companion Gourry. "I wanted to get them to carry two more packs of meat, but I figured this was enough. Now I'm not so sure."  
  
The chimera could only nod in agreement.  
  
Timotthy came down from the tower, the smile on his face threatening to become permanent. "I heard from the other captains this morning! I'm the new head of security for the city! I'm so happy!"  
  
"Congratulations, Timothy." Amelia grinned extra-wide. Even Zelgadis took a moment and smiled.  
  
Timothy just seemed to dance his moments around the group. "I also have the guards loyal to the city taking over Turnip's casino as we speak. The mayor has agreed to run the place in meantime, until it is auctioned off to the highest bidder. We needs funds to cover the taxes on all the land that Turnip used to own."  
  
"So, there's no sign of Turnip?" asked Sylphiel.  
  
"No one has seen him since the explosion of last night. I wonder what happened to him," questioned Timothy. "We just heard a few of his men deserted their posts and left. When we demanded to see Turnip, everyone said he was gone for good."   
  
Lina just sweatdropped. "I wouldn't worry about it, Timothy. I'm sure he just went for a little flight."  
  
"Lina, don't you mean-" interjected the swordsman.  
  
*OWW!*   
  
Gourry fell down to the ground, from Lina's strategically placed elbow into the blonde's lower stomach. "Oh, I'm sorry Gourry, I didn't see you there. Now be quiet for a sec, OK?"  
  
The blond swordsman turned over for a second onto his back. "ugh...."  
  
"Heh, must have been too much breakfast." Lina just nodded her head as swordsman rolled among the grasses.  
  
"Lina! Is that you?"  
  
The sorcerer looked up at the road approaching the city. "Filia!" Lina jumped for a second at the shock of seeing the golden dragon. "What in the world are you doing here?"  
  
Zelgadis just nodded as Amelia broke out a wide grin.  
  
Lina ran up to Filia, surprised at the golden dragon's sudden presence. "I thought you had settled down, with a store and everything."  
  
"Well, I was traveling down the coastline, you see." She panted off the words to the sorcerer, quite exhausted from her trip. "I have savings to trade for southern vases, to the sheik's city to the south."   
  
Lina nodded. "Hai, we're just leaving to go south right now. Are you going to stay a few days in Monte Darlo?"  
  
Mud baths. Spa sessions. Healthy eating. Finally, she could get her scales nice and polished. It all disappeared in a puff of smoke. "I'm not staying here, just going south." She winked at Lina in response.  
  
"Great! Its your turn to buy us dinner tonight." Lina slapped Filia in the back half-heartily. "Come on, I'll fill you in on what's going on. Let's go!"   
  
Filia just sweatdropped as they walked away from Monte Darlo together.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Are you coming, Zel?" Amelia loved to ask the chimera the simplest of questions with the cutest of looks.  
  
Zel groaned. "I'm just looking over our rear position. Don't worry about it." He could tell that Amelia wasn't exactly buying his words. "Now go and keep Lina company. OK?" And he just bared his teeth to her.  
  
''...ok, uhhh..." The little princess quickly, "I think Filia is calling me. I'll be back in a min...hour."  
  
Zelgadis just smiled on the inside. Its not that he didn't enjoy her company, it's just the doses of her company have been too long these last few days. Oh well, no harm, no foul.  
  
He paused for a second to think about a life with Amelia. Well, at least he would have plenty to eat and a decent place to hang his cap. It would be very comfortable indeed. He knew that-  
  
Something tickled at Zel's left arm, an almost familiar feel as if he were being scratched with a feather. It was warm energy...that felt inviting. He looked for a second as the chimera turned his arm over, exposing the underside to the light.   
  
Flesh and rock crawled ever so slightly. He felt the energy dissipate out of his body, as a sudden stab of pain intersected his arm. A knife. No, much harder than a knife yet no visible weapon was it sight.  
  
Gritting his teeth, the chimera had no choice but to grab his arm in haste. He couldn't maintain that perfect balance anymore as he fell to his knees.   
  
The pain eased for just a second as he crawled to his feet. Earlier that day, Zelgadis had stumbled in a rare misstep, down a flight of stairs from breakfast. At first, he thought that incident was purely accidental. But now...he was no longer sure.   
  
He looked again at his arm, his flesh was no longer soft like fine paste but now firmer to his touch. He could feel the movement was harder, rougher, as if his internal energy was sapping away.  
  
His life ambition was to have become human. He was so close. If fact, for the shortest of minutes, he was human once again in his lifetime. But now, those few minutes of humanity had taken on a terrible price. He was sure that price would be his life.  
  
  
---o--o--o--- 


	5. Chapter 5: Dammit! The Truth is Hard to ...

---o--o--o---  
  
  
[Lina] Oh no! What's happening to Zel...  
  
[Author] Oh, and you think its my doing that he's changing...Its always the author's fault, its always the authors fault...  
  
[Lina] Damn you! Tell me what's wrong with Zel, otherwise I will *DRAGON SLAVE* your ass off!  
  
[Author] ...Mommy!!!!   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Slayers: Clouds!  
  
Chapter 5:  
Damn it! The Truth is Hard to Find!  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
The early morning was cold, sparse. Ground that had once been fertile with greenery could no longer support life. Sunlight barely could get out and spread its wings, for fierce winds would rob it of its energy.  
  
On such bare ground, laid the body of Mr. Turnip, still holding onto the specter. The glass holding specter that had once been a conductor of the Lynx's power was nothing more than a shattered and mud-trenched globe on a stick.  
  
He was barely alive. Turnip's mind shouted obscenities through the pain of it all. Yes, he was technically still alive, carefully thinking of one Lina Inverse. Blasted that girl who stuck me down, he reflected. Blasted little kid with the power to take out Mazoku and frighten Ryozoku alike, the resources that even rivaled the gods of Cepheid.  
  
Turnip tried to get up, his mind issuing commands to the rest of his body. No dice. His feet seemed tied down, his arms and hands likewise. From the look of his body, he seemed twisted into some kind of pretzel, unable to budge. Turnip couldn't tell much since his head was twisted upward while the rest of the body was face down.  
  
"You're dead, Turnip." A voice, with little compassion. Shadows fell over his sight, it was from someone behind his head.  
  
"Nice observation, idiot. Want to-" Shocked, he stopped his words in mid-sentence as sudden astonishment of warmth entering into the body carcass.  
  
"I'm giving you some of my energy to power your mouth, old boy. Oh, and your head as well. See, you're body has been sitting here for a couple of days or so. It looks like some wild animal has gotten to you. Those ankles of yours must be tasty."  
  
Turnip looked down to see that his body below the waist was pretty much gone. His left side still had a thigh bone stripped bare to the bone, apparently torn away in chucks. His right side wasn't much better. "I do seem to be 'quite' dead, my friend. Care to tell me what you want?"  
  
The mystery voice swing to the other side of Turnip. The fellow wasn't taller than three or four feet, his look was definitely brown, ugly and troll-like. An ugly mess of thick black hair hid most of his head, except for the hooked nose and crooked grin. "You're going to work for me, Turnip. Because otherwise, I'll make you cooperate in a less-likely fashion."  
  
Turnip scoffed. "Heh, why would I want to work for a Mazoku. I'd rather be toast."  
  
The stranger's eyes just glowed dark red under his messy hair. "That can be arranged, if you wish..." He chucked deeply, then coughed a bit. "This body doesn't suit me. But I like it."   
  
The troll turned his attention back to Turnip. "I would assume you want revenge. After all, there is one Lina Inverse out there. And her companions I might add."  
  
Turnip licked his lips in delight. "Well, I don't think I can refuse an invitation like that, Mazoku."  
  
"Its Joe to you, Turnip. Do not take all day."  
  
"What a strange name."  
  
Joe kicked him. "It wasn't my idea, baka."  
  
Turnip winched in pain, the little nerve cells he had left felt the fear. "Very well, Joe. I pledge to you."   
  
Immediately after finishing his words, Turnip's body glowed with a deep red shade of power. It encompassed his leftover body, forming back his legs back into normal human shape. It was soon over, as Turnip stood in front of his new Mazoku master.  
  
"Ahhh, that feels good." Turnip stretched his shoulders around, getting a bit loose. His new image had the appearance of a human, except for his red-glowing eyes. "What else, Mazoku?"  
  
Joe sidestepped around to Turnip's front, looking up at his now taller Mazoku. Turnip could now fully see his beady red eyes shine thought the natty hair. "Again, it's Joe, you filthy human." He walked around is new subordinate. "You will tell me everything you know about the Cloudminders. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
Turnip just laughed. "I should have known." And he chuckled again, this time joined by his new Mazoku master.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
In another similar place, one of bare ground and even barer signs of life, were familiar company of Lina and her companions. They were already a few days journey south, without a hint of a sign, a bridge, or of any civilization.   
  
But Zelgadis was sure this was the way -- a well beaten path of wagon wheels and feet had made earlier impressions in these fields. Instincts told him the bridge of the ancients was nearby, very close indeed.  
  
The chimera had managed to start a fire among some old campfire stones and moss. The old stones showed signs of a fire from not long ago -- shades of black and gray, tinted with the charcoal of cindered wood. The new fire licked at these old stones while newly grown moss sizzled from the heat. Tiny flames ate at dead wood as it rocked from their heated expansion. He had made himself at home by sitting on a nearby fallen log, the wood piece was too large and obtuse to light as a campfire.  
  
He wasn't really hungry but surprising cold. His body had felt weakened these last few days, as if he were slowed by the slight flu. Ever since Monte Darlo, he thought. Why, he asked himself. Why did he have to know what was exactly happening to him. Why?  
  
Footsteps stirred around from behind Zel, he was surprised to see Lina up and early, just after the morning sunrise.   
  
"Morning, Zel. Get any sleep last night?" Lina was not a particular charming at the crack of down, but she wasn't a total sleepy head either.   
  
The chimera just picked at the fire with a stick, taming the flames as wood settled into briquettes from his churning. "Sleep was fine." The sorcerer sat down next to Zel and settled in, warning her hands by turning towards the fire.  
  
"Ahhh, that feels good." She arched her neck loose, trying to get awake.   
  
"Why are you following me here, Lina?" he asked. "Is there some reason that you're coming with me in search of the City of the Clouds?"  
  
"Heh?" Lina arched her eyebrows up in surprise. "Zel, that Turnip guy tried rubbing us out. I don't like being shown off."  
  
Zelgadis continued to poke at the fire wordlessly.   
  
"You know, we're down here because of you, Zel. The Cloudminders may have secrets for changing you back into a human. You know that the Lynx box has already done that, even if it was temporary."  
  
"Why?" He looked up at Lina. "Why then? Why them destroy it?"   
  
"What do you mean, why! We didn't have a choice!" Lina bitterly stomped her feet on the ground. "Damn you Zel, I save our asses once again from endless danger, and you can't even acknowledge it?" She coughed in irritation, her feet pushing some sand closer to the campfire stones.  
  
The chimera just stared.  
  
"You're problem is that I never know there is a problem. You are an endless bottomless pit, and whatever words come in never get out!" She had taken to upping her voice at the chimera, annoyed from his lack on answers. "You know I'm right, don't you."   
  
"No, you're wrong. You should have left me there to die." He stared back at Lina, with resentment in his eyes as he stood up. "You should have killed me!"  
  
"Kill you? Are you crazy!!" Lina was in shock from Zelgadis' words. "Why the hell for?! You've helped save us from Shabranigudo, from Gaav, from Filbrizzo. From Valgaav and Dark Star. The list goes on and on!" The sorcerer was up on her feet, pushing back at the chimera. "Why the hell would I turn around and kill my friend!"  
  
Zel not dared to look into Lina's eyes. "Screw you."  
  
Lina huffed with pure rejection. "I'm not going to kill you, Zel. I see into the eyes, and I see how long that you have wanted to become human. I know that you've spent your entire life in trying, and you're not giving up that easily!"  
  
The chimera silently nodded his head.  
  
"Look, there has to be answer somewhere. Rezo wouldn't just change you in this creature and not have a way to turn you back. That Lynx box, chaos box...no matter how temporary, changed you into a human. I'm sure the Cloudminders have something else to change you back, and by Cepheid, we'll use it, get it, or take it to change you back. Either way, I'm here, Amelia, Sylphiel, Filia, and even Gourry. We're not going to let anything happen to you without a fight."  
  
"That is, until I die."   
  
Lina was furious. "You're not dying! You're lifetime may be longer than mine, because you're a chimera. No one has killed you! You're not fricken' dead!"  
  
He just looked up. "I'm dying, Lina! Just look!" He bared his arm to the early sun, showing the underside of the upper forearm to Lina. Where there had once had been a rubbery skin covering with hard lesions, was now almost completely covered within a rough casing of stone. He pulled at it, flicking specs of dust off of his body.   
  
"I can feel the energy in my body seeping away, the once human flesh in my body is leaving me. It's as if I'm slowing down, my eyes aren't adjusting to the speed and motions of other humans anymore. I can't feel my arm anymore. I will, eventually, become..."  
  
The sorcerer just stared, not believing her own ears.  
  
"Lina...I'm turning to stone."  
  
Lina almost fell down in a jumbled heap. "Zel! That's...not true!"  
  
"It's true and you know it." He pounded his stick into the ground in frustration. "I don't know how long I have, but its already getting difficult to walk and stand. I'm already in incredible pain, every time I move, or take a step. Its bearable now, but I have no idea how much worse its going to get. I figured I've got a few weeks, maybe longer. That should be plenty of time to find the City of the Clouds. But I'll be out of time after that."  
  
"No time? But..." She couldn't comprehend the answers as her eyes started to tear. "How can you say something like that?"  
  
Zel lowered himself to her height. "You have to promise me two things, Lina. You must."  
  
"Anything. I swear." Lina was close to balling into a state of total despair.  
  
"One, you can't tell anymore. Not Amelia, not Sylphiel. Not even Filia. Damn it, if you tell Gourry, he'll probably remember. I don't want them worrying about me. Do you understand?"   
  
"But...but why? We can help you, Zel. Maybe they know of something that can help...or we can comfort your pain..."  
  
The chimera shook his head. "I know about my chimera body, Lina, I know its strengths and weaknesses. I want no other help. Otherwise, I will leave. Disappear." Lina's mouth just hung agape, appalling to the core. "It's bad enough that you how I feel, Lina, I can't bare for anyone else to know. Do I make myself clear?'  
  
Lina hiccupped. "I...understand." She gulped for a second, her mouth dry from all the words. "What was the other thing."  
  
"We're going to find the City of the Clouds. It's the only solution we have at the moment." Zel looked up into the sky, as if looking for an answer. "The magic that takes chaos, that stone and the secrets that Turnip took to his grave. Whatever it is, I know it's the answer. Nevertheless, if I'm not cured of my affliction, you must promise...to kill me."  
  
"Zel!" choked Lina, the words dying in her throat. "I can't!"  
  
"You must!" Zel's voice was of a tone she had hardly heard before. She remembered he had used it when facing off with Gaav and Valgaav. "If my body slows down, my mind will become a prisoner in the stone statue you see before you. I will be conscience, without the ability to move, speak, or communicate."  
  
"But..." Tears fell from Lina's eyes, disappearing into the dry sandy soil by her feet. "I...I..."  
  
"Would you let be in a position worse than death!"  
  
Lina looked down on the ground, her face hidden by her matted red hair. "I will do what you ask, Zel." She sniffled again from her fallen position. "I promise."  
  
"Very well." And the chimera turned away, leaving Lina to her thoughts.  
  
How could he, thought Lina. How could he be so naive, so stupid. So selfish and not even realizing it, hurting the friends that he had with even knowing it. "Zel, I did swear. Funny how you roped me into such a promise."   
  
She took out a short knife and stabbed in into the ground next to her. No blood ceremonies in her book for ever necessary, she thought too much of them ever since Naga kept passing out from them. "Heh, I did promise to kill you. But not before restoring your hide to normal. I swear, no matter the cost."   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Thoth walked his way south of Monte Darlo. The full breakfast from before had fed him with a least a couple of days food. However, Thoth was still surprised for his lack of hunger. He must have really stuffed it down.  
  
Thirsty for some fresh water, not just drink but to wash his dirty beard as well, the old man leaned down into the a gully of a nearby riverbed.   
  
Thoth saw how he had aged in the years. The river readily supplied him with a perfect reflection of crabby face. He had imaged himself as a godly prince, his castle window higher than any mountain, his view of the world had been unbelievable. Alas, it he been such a lovely dream.  
  
Looking into the stream again, Thoth could see new growing shapes above his head. It was apparent he had company.  
  
"Hello, Mad Thoth," belched a nasty voice behind him. "Care for a swim?"  
  
The old man coughed. "And you might you be, sonny?" He turned around to a gaggle of Turnip security guards, led by an bulky and balding older man in an apron. "Oh, my...company!"  
  
"I don't believe I've met you before, though I believe you know your friends." The guards just readied their miniature crossbows into a firing position. "I'm Biru, by the way."   
  
Biru immediately stick his finger out, pressing it against Thoth's bony skeleton. "Oh, and you're going to help me. These associates are mine are ex-patriots of Monte Darlo, and they sure seemed to know you very well."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure..." The old man just gulped. "Your friends aren't very friendly to someone like me."  
  
"Talk is cheap, old man." Biru had out a large chef knife, the newness of the blade memorized in Thoth's eyes. "Now, you're going to tell me some information. Do I make myself clear?"   
  
Thoth nodded with his head, the lower half of his beard was still wet from the river.  
  
"Tell me about Lina Inverse, you baka. My friends here tell me you swindled a little breakfast out of the bitch. Where's she going?"  
  
Thoth just shook his head. "I'm not sure I can do that. After all, they fed me lots and I haven't seen crumbs from you yet."  
  
"Look, 'Mad' Thoth or whatever you call yourself. If you don't help me, I promise you won't be around much longer. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
Thoth seemed to think for a minute before answering. "Well, I dunno...How much food have you got?"  
  
Biru blew up, stunned. "What the hell! You'd pick death over a last meal!!" The inn owner hopped up and down like an angry jackrabbit, then he smiled. "Do you know that I'm a gourmet chef...right!"  
  
Thoth eyes lit up like torches as he licked his lips. "Well...if you put it that way, I guess I could lead you to them."  
  
"Aaaaagh! Fine! Whatever makes you happy!" The raving innkeeper turned to the troops. "Stand down, you fools, he'll lead us right to our Inverse Tax. The little sissy is going to pay...she's going to pay her taxes!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Lina didn't feel like leading the group that day; she had let the rambunctious Amelia climb the trees in front, scouting for patrols or Cepheid knows what else.  
  
"Lina." Filia was right next to the redheaded sorcerer, trying to get her attention.  
  
The often-taxed one has much too many items on her mind at the moment. First, the Cloudminders, as Xellos had mentioned. With Xellos popping up from the middle of nowhere, she was sure the Mazoku were part of the mix, there was no doubt of that in her mind. She quickly shook her head -- dragons occupy the City of the Clouds. A secret sect of ancients ones could swing the balance of power away from the Mazoku, thus plenty of reason to keep one Lina Inverse away from them.   
  
Sure, the Lynx box inlet looked like it was from the City of the Clouds. But after her little chit-chat with Xellos and the mad one, none of the other merchants could identify any new information on the cloud symbol. She had even asked Filia for information, but she seemed dumbfounded as well.  
  
"Lina!" The dragon maiden tugged on Lina's arm to no luck.  
  
She had taken her time to fill Filia up on their recent adventures. The dragon maiden seemed rather amused at her tales of Biru and his tax-scheming ways. Nevertheless, the sorcerer was not smiling during the retelling.  
  
Crap, thought Lina, then Zel this morning has to have the worse of temper tantrums. She cursed at how the chimera was using her, as her anger quickly deepened her sadness. She was now on a true mission, not just for treasure fortune, not just to get to the bottom of Turnip's awesome magic-stealing power, and not just to find the City of the Clouds. It was an undertaking to save her friend, something of seriousness that she had faced only too many times before.  
  
"Lina!!"  
  
"You don't have to yell, you know! I'm right here!" Lina took a breather for a second, grabbing her chest in excitement. After a few more keyed up pants, she calmed down to a reasonable manner. "Heh...sorry...Now, what was it."  
  
"Um...um...maybe, never-"  
  
"Filia..." Lina blinked at the golden dragon. "I'm here, tell me."  
  
"Well, we're traveling to the costal city where Turnip got his magic...right?"  
  
"It's not magic, at least in the traditional sense, and something never seen it before. Turnip's powers seemed to be able to control the flow of chaos."  
  
"Chaos? Are you sure?" asked Filia.  
  
"I'm very sure. It was expensive stuff that Turnip bought, all right. And that old guy said it was to the south. This kinda stuff you can't exactly pick up at a local magic stop, it would have to come from someplace special. And a costal trading city with a sheik sounds like a good place to start."  
  
Filia smiled in delight, "Oh, it sounds wonderful!" She rubbed down here arm again in happiness. "Maybe a nice spa, I sure can't seem to wait!"   
  
Lina shook her head. "I'm sure it's a rich city, Filia. I can't imagine Turnip going to a poor place. Those furnishings in his casino, they were worth a fortune."  
  
"You mean, I'll be able to sell my vases down here?" Filia's eyes teared in happiness. "You know, its so expensive to take care of little Valgaav. I've already built an expansion on the side of the house, with several extra cribs in case he grows big. You know, he's still a couple of years away from hatching..."  
  
Lina stared back at the dragon. "Filia, you're unbelievable..." Filia eyed Lina for a sec, but the petite sorcerer didn't want to press her luck. "Juras is taking care of little egg Valgaav, I suppose?"  
  
"Uh-huh. He's like a nanny now. I'm so excited to be coming down here instead."   
  
The sorcerer groaned. "Remind me not to have kids. It's bad enough bandits these days don't have as much money as they used to. Now I've got innkeepers after me as well."  
  
"Oh, you told me about that, Lina. You know, with all the damages that you cause-"  
  
"It was Naga's fault!" she screamed, before quickly shutting her mouth. "Damn, I can't believe I said that." Lina just thought to the more than numerous times that her old 'friend' would burn down an inn or tavern. No wonder she was cursed with stupid inverse tax.  
  
"Who's Naga?"  
  
Lina just blushed. "Its...its no one, I swear. Just some crazy dream I had last night." The petite red-head chuckled at her own comments. "I guess I that third portion before I went to sleep was a bit much."  
  
"Lina!" Amelia was screaming in the short distance over the hill, up a nearby tree. "I see it!"  
  
"Really!" Lina heard the Saillune princess and was off in a flash over the next crest. "Come on Filia, we can't be late for your vase sale!" She grabbed the shrine dragon's hand and tugged Filia in tow to the rest of the excited group.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Lina stared in sheer awe at the bridge, looking at the absolute size of the structure. It seemed to span not two sides of river, but a giant and deep valley of rock and darkness. Instead of a junction off the side of a small hill, each end of the bridge intersected into a large base of twin miniature mountains.   
  
She stared again, joining her companions in silent utter astonishment. Distracting her, were the swirl of winds, that made walking more than a bit of a chore for Lina and company. Earlier that day, there had been almost no wind at all. Now, nature's fury made Lina's dark cloak wrap tightly around her petite body.  
  
The bridge itself, made of cut stone and rubble, it didn't just span in a straight line across the tremendous valley. It arched in the middle, skyward into the clouds before settling back down to the surface. The causeway width of the bridge was large enough for several wheeled wagons to cross at one time.   
  
The ancient conduit looked like was almost part of a bracelet. Its surfaces were utterly smooth where stone met stone, yet the exterior conditions were roughed cut as well. The causeway of the bridge was lined with high bearing walls to the height of Lina's neck, at least four feet into the air. The entire structure had the appearance that it not been built for the purpose of humans in mind, but for much larger creatures...   
  
"Wow." Amelia was impressed.  
  
"Its beautiful," said Sylphiel.  
  
"The scale of the structure is impressive. The shear size should collapse onto itself, yet the bridge is still standing." The chimera studied the ancient bridge from a higher position on their near mountain. "It looks useable to me."  
  
The party approached the bridge carefully, looking for signs of unsafe use. In fact, the structure was in perfect shape, although weather elements had dulled the stones and other parts were covered in moss and dusts, the overall bridge seemed rather intact.   
  
Gourry took a peek into the valley that was spanned by the huge bridge. The depth of the gorge was unimaginable. Winds continue to swirl around, whisking at Gourry's blond hair. "It's a long way down. I wouldn't want to fall into there."  
  
Filia watched from the side of the hill, waiting for Gourry to fall in. "You know, for once you're right. Those currents are even too strong for me to fly over."  
  
"Come on!" Lina was already on the bridge, waving historically. "We haven't got much time until sunset, you know." Zel muttered a few unintelligible words as he stomped onto the overpass.   
  
Amelia, Sylphiel, and Lina were well onto the bridge already. "Lina, look here!" shouted the Sailoon princess, she was kneed on the ground while pointing to a single tile on the walkway.  
  
"It's a flat one, unlike the rest of the bridge." Amelia pointed to a central tile near the mouth of the bridge. Even though the tile was mostly covered in moss, a familiar pattern of writing could be seen in the smoothed out piece of stone.   
  
"Do you think it means anything?" asked the shrine maiden.  
  
"I dunno." Lina leaned down on her knees, her fingers peeling away at the many years of moss. "Give me a hand here, girls." The three of them quickly cleared off the rest of the tile of natural debris.  
  
The single tile was as smooth as glass, the elements of weather had not made a single dent into the material unlike the rest of the bridge. With perfect precision, the group uncovered the treasure: a carving of an image almost lost from time.  
  
"Well, it certainly looks like a picture of a cloud." Amelia wiped her hands clean with a towel from her traveling pack.   
  
The group stood back, admiring their find. "We've got to be on the right track," pointed Sylphiel. "I just know it."   
  
Lina scraped away the rest of the mass from the tile, to her disappointment it did not reveal any other shiny clues. "Well, what can I tell you-" she showed her dirty fingers to the nice and clean shine maiden, "that this bridge has been here for a long, long, time!"  
  
Sylphiel face just squealed with fright.   
  
"That's gross, Lina!" exclaimed Amelia. A second later, the princess had thrown her towel to the petite sorcerer.  
  
"Yep, that will definitely help," said Filia. Behind her, holding up the rear were the men of the group.  
  
"Making mud pies again, again I suppose?" The chimera pinged, looking at all the girls with dirty fingers.   
  
Lina chuckled. Before long, the whole group took to laughing.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
They continued on the bridge span another several hundred feet into windy air. The heavy winds were making traveling rather difficult - for every three steps they walked, the entire group was pushed back by one.   
  
"This isn't normal, Lina." yelled Sylphiel. "I mean, is it suppose to be this windy?"  
  
"I know, but keep going. We can't raywing it over this blustery weather." Lina was sure she could glide out over the valley cliffs, but landing safely at tremendous falling speeds -- either on the opposite side or back where they started was a total crapshoot.   
  
"Hear that, Amelia?" Lina took out her sword from its sleeve.   
  
"I only hear the wind up here. How can you be so sure something's coming?"  
  
"Cause I'd do the same thing. Get ready everyone, we've got some visitors somewhere."  
  
*WHOOOSH!*  
  
Sure enough, as they had just made the approximate middle of the massive bridge when a fireball singed over their heads, narrowly missing the ducking Lina, just to the right of Gourry.  
  
"Whoa, that was a close one!"  
  
The blond swordsman just commented non-chalantely. "You're lucky you're so short, Lina. If you were Filia's height, it might have hit you."  
  
Lina whacked Gourry in the side of the head, subtle enough to get his attention, making the poor swordsman fall to the ground. "Baka!"  
  
"Ow, that hurts." He rubbed the sore spot where the redhead had stuck with open hand. "You cloud be a little more gentle. Don't you remember out talk?"  
  
Lina blinked at the swordsman and smiled. "Well, at least the poor fireballs won't hit you now!"  
  
Zel muttered. "Damn winds accelerate the fireballs from who knows where. Wherever they are, we're sitting pretty right now."  
  
Amelia jumped on the bridge side rails, the elevation of the bridge was of no concern to her. "Whose who hide in shame and deceit, you know you have no choice in the end!"  
  
"Oh brother, not again." melted Lina.  
  
"Surrender now or face the wrath of Justice!"   
  
The chimera sighed. "I think she picking up pointers from Xellos."  
  
"It's not from me," said Filia.  
  
"Nah, its definitely from me, before I usually blow someone away," explained Lina.   
  
Sylphiel put her hand together to the left of her ears, tilted her head, and smiled. "She's growing up right before our eyes, Lina. Isn't it kawaii?"  
  
Lina pouted, "If you say so..."  
  
Amelia pointed up into the air. "We will not be defeated to those who hide! We will stand for what is right, we stand-"  
  
*WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!*   
  
Amelia froze, unable to jump off the railing. A crazy number of fireballs were coming in at every angle. Not totally accurate because the high winds and long distances, their were enough of them to strike her down. "No time to get off...No time to..."   
  
She felt a tug from the back of her legs, the rest of her body quickly following backwards. Before another second passed, Amelia had been quickly tugged off of the side rail.  
  
It was Lina. "It's amazing how many times I've had to bail you out." Amelia face froze up for a sec, threatening to break out into tears - until Lina responded with a blink from one of her eyes. "Baka."  
  
Amelia didn't answer, she just turned over with her eyes glassed over. "Thank you."   
  
"Hai. Don't mention it."  
  
*WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!*  
  
"There's got to be at least a dozen on either side of the bridge." Zel was announcing as if it were a regular weather forecast. "We're pinned down for the moment until help comes to bail us out."  
  
"What about some shields?" questioned Amelia. "Couldn't Sylphiel and Filia protect us?"  
  
"And then what? We can't levitate out of here." The chimera pointed to the sides of the hill in front of them. "The winds are much too strong, we would become a pancake against the side of the mountain."  
  
"Do we stay here, then?" asked Sylphiel, getting her scepter up to raise a shield.  
  
"No way." Lina turned around at the ground, eyes for all to see. "I'm not letting some group of third-rate wizards to pin us like a tail on a donkey. We're going over this thing, and we're doing it now."  
  
The rest of the group nodded in agreement.  
  
"Zel, stay here and provide me with cover. Amelia and Filia will give you some protection." Gourry gulped. For a second, the swordsman was going to say something, but Lina cut him off. "Sylphiel, you come with me. I'm going to need it as we're going to run them down."  
  
A shadow of doubt crossed the shrine maiden's face. "Run? But I can't do a spell while-"   
  
"You can do it, Sylphiel. I know you can." The sorcerer's words seemed to calm Sylphiel's complexion to a determined one.  
  
"What do I do?" Gourry asked, shrugging his shoulders.   
  
"Keep Zel company and out of trouble. Got it?"  
  
"Yea, I think." Gourry seemed to get Lina's orders. Everyone else did as well, as the rest of the group shook their heads in silence. Then, he didn't. "Hey, wait a minute-"  
  
"OK...NOW!" Lina growled, she grabbed Sylphiel with her hands in tow, bolting for the other side of the bridge.  
  
"Blam Blazer!" Zel's spell caused the firing to end for a few seconds, keeping the rogue wizards pinned in their bushes. But not for long.  
  
*WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!*  
  
"Barus Wall!" shouted Amelia.  
  
The two girls were over the bridge in a flash, crossing over the rest of the connection in a flash. Lina didn't take a thanking for dirt ground again, she attacked with ferocity.  
  
"Fireball!"   
  
"Aiiiieeee!"  
  
Lina blasts lit up the brush line along the cliff, tossing wizards and dirt alike into the air to their impending doom. She had taken out a half-dozen almost as easily as taking out the trash. "Damn." She mused, "Frickin' too many wizards to take in one shot!" She shot another fireball from behind her back, frying a couple of more bad guys. "Two down, many more to go-"   
  
*WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!*  
  
The fireball shots were about to hit the red-headed sorcerer when they hit a rather familiar shield target just in front of her, quickly shattering in every which way.   
  
"Thanks, Sylphiel."   
  
The shine maiden had her scepter outstretched and glowing while she caught her breath. "I...can't believe...you run that fast, ...Lina. I could barely keep up with you there."  
  
"No sweat. When you eat as much food as I do, you've got plenty of energy to burn off. I've got to keep this girlish figure going somehow." Lina's attention turned as another round of fireballs harmlessly bounced off Sylphiel's shield. "Now, who's next to be fried!"  
  
Zel and the rest of the company were now running across the bridge as Lina fired her more powerful fireballs across the chasm. The winds were making it difficult however, as one of the shots caught a wind drift, thus heading toward her friends still on the bridge.  
  
"Aaaaeeeii!" shouted Gourry, as the whole group dived for cover.   
  
Filia was up first from her un-ladylike duck, sticking her head over the bridge side wall. "Hey Lina! Watch it!" She was quickly joined by the slightly blackened and not so smiling faces of Amelia, Zel, and Gourry.   
  
"Heh...clumsy me! I'll be more careful next time!" Lina sweetly smiled with her innocent charm, even though her fellow members were rather immune to Lina's charm.  
  
"Hmmph!" The Saillune princess stuck her nose up with a bit of distaste.  
  
"Is that most of them?" questioned Gourry, looking at Lina pounce another round of wizards.  
  
"Nope, don't think so." Zel pointed to a new approaching group, coming up from their former positions. "Looks like more company."  
  
"Halt, conspirators of Lina Inverse!" The boys already turned around, their swords ready and waiting.   
  
And then the chimera laughed. "You're unbelievable, Biru. We just can't shake you."  
  
The balding one was ready at attention, with about a dozen Turnip security guards dressed in a mix of Monte Darlo uniforms with some extra patches of mercenary armor. "You...You are comrades of Lina Inverse. As associates, You shall pay Inverse tax now!"   
  
"Didn't I dispatch this guy a little while ago?" asked Gourry.  
  
Zel sweatdropped. "Umm, for once, no. You were intoxicated. Remember?"   
  
Gourry nodded. "Yea, I do for some reason."   
  
The group just facefaulted.   
  
"This guy is a bastard and Lina and I gave him the slip." He thought about his puzzling statements and clarified them. "Actually, I was a bit dizzy, so Sylphiel and Lina managed to carry me away. It was nice getting taken cared of."   
  
Filia cringed. "You mean you were drunk and you remember everything that happened?"   
  
"Yeah, I do!" said Gourry.   
  
Zel winced. "Never mind that you're not going to win, Biru. All I want to know is how you traced us down here." The chimera's response got a shuffle from behind Turnip's mercenary guards, as a familiar yet older face stepped forward.   
  
Zelgadis scowled. "Thoth. I should have known."   
  
"Heh. It's me, Thoth." The old man waved heartedly with his hand. "Biru offered me some food and stuff, it was a proposal that I could not refuse."   
  
"Scheming as usual," replied Zelgadis. "So, you've joined up with Biru, haven't you?"  
  
"Well, not exactly..." Biru reached around with his arm and grabbed the old man harshly by the collarbone. "And don't think that we're not scared of you, stony?"   
  
"How could you turn traitor, Thoth?" whined Amelia. "After all, I had shown you the way of justice!"  
  
"My dear, justice does not fill my tummy." The old man's tummy bellowed some nasty hungry sounds, while Amelia's posture turned white ashen at Thoth's unconscious body response.  
  
"Thoth! You two-timing phony!" spit Amelia. "I'll never trust you again!"  
  
The old man sighed in disgust.  
  
Determined to get some attention, Filia spoke up. "Now that you have us cornered, what are you going to do with us?"  
  
"You, to pay. Now." Biru unbuckled a short sword, pointing it to the crew.  
  
"Afraid not." The chimera already had his sword out as well, now he just flashed the blade into the sky.   
  
*Astral Vine*!   
  
The sword responded to chimera's words by glowing, backing Biru's troops from their positions around Zel and company.  
  
"Now, if you want a beating, that's fine. Just remember who took out Turnip."   
  
Biru's troops were horrified from Zel's words. "That's just...not true!"  
  
They were about to scatter for good when a strike of lightening hit the bridge, knocking of few of the troops clear off the crossway and into the bottomless ravine. Most of the group immediate fled, leaving Biru with the company of a handful of men.  
  
Lina looked from the south side. She was still taking care of the few rogue wizards that were left. But the lightening strike got her attention, as well as the sound of flapping in the distance. "Hey Gourry! Zel! You're about to have company!" The sorcerer was maintaining her hands in the air, trying to keep the setting sun out of her eyes.  
  
Filia saw it first, pointing to a black dot in the sky. "Its...flying! And in this wind!"  
  
"That means it must be a...a...Dragon!!" exclaimed Amelia.  
  
Another blast took out a couple more of Biru's mercenary guards. Before long, Biru was alone. "Troops? Thoth? You blasted deserters!" He looked around to see his men fleeing to the north end of the bridge. "Come back here and fight, you cowards!"  
  
Zel nodded, ducking for cover. "I think Biru was better." Another blast lit up the bridge in fireworks of lightening, tossing bits of stone into the air.  
  
Gourry was ecstatic. "Oh boy, dragon cuisine!" shouted Gourry. "We'll roast it for dinner tonight!" bellowed the swordsman, licking his chops with a bit of excitement.  
  
"Baka!" Filia had her mace in Gourry's ear, the swordsman could be seen collapsed over, with only the mace handle sticking up from his buried head. "I can't believe you would go out and eat some poor cousin of mine!"  
  
"uuuuugggghhh..."  
  
The dragon lady went over to Gourry and took her mace. "It's not like you'll even hunted from Dragon cuisine before."  
  
The swordsman, still stooped in a daze, nevertheless opened his trap. "Well, actually, when I was with Zel and Amelia once, we-" and his mouth was closed in an instant by the chimera's strong hand. "Ummmm!"  
  
"Heh, Gourry remembers so many tall tales. Foolish boy." At the same time, Amelia slapped the swordsman in the back with her knee, getting the swordsman to shut his trap.  
  
The dragon was no longer the little black dot, but a charcoal creature of incredible size, with a length of a hundred feet or more. Its doubled heads were easily six feet wide, easily large enough to swallow cattle whole.   
  
Its multitude of wings were small compared to the rest of its size, but it seemed to have fluttering fins everywhere as it snaked its way across the sky. The shear amount of small wings kept the beast flying up in the air. It was more of a snake than a dragon, it lacked any type of front nor back arms or legs.   
  
"That!" beamed Filia, "is most certainly not a dragon related to me!" She pointed up at the creature in disgust.   
  
"And its got two heads instead of one!" announced Amelia.  
  
"So, why isn't it a dragon?" asked Gourry. "Its got scales, doesn't it?"  
  
"Dear Cepheid, do you know what it takes to keep these scales perfectly honed!" Filia pointed to the black beast in the air. "Look at that thing!" She showed her bare arm off to Gourry, though he was unimpressed. "I bet it hasn't had a bath in years!"  
  
"It looks like a dragon to me."  
  
"Numskull! I'm in human disguise! Does that mean I'm human?"  
  
The dragon snake didn't like getting made fun of at all, and one of the heads shot a lightening bolt right to Filia. Amelia and Filia put up walls, but they couldn't hold them for long against the powerful dragon breath. Suddenly, a fireball from the opposite side clocked right into one of its heads, dismembering the long cranium from the rest of the body.  
  
"Gotcha!!" shouted one Lina Inverse, with another fireball spell already in her hand. Smoke poured around the neck of the dragon, the other remaining head screamed in apprehension.   
  
Black smoke poured out of the neck, as if caught in a bit of fire. The results quickly cleared where unexpectedly, two new heads appeared where only one head had been before.  
  
"Huh? What the hell?" as Lina extinguished her fireball.  
  
Laughter ensued around the valley as a little man jumped up into the air from the back of the dragon. "Hehehehe, Lina is so foolish! Lina is so foolish!" The little man was barely 4 feet tall, with a tummy almost as wide as his height. He was simply dressed in white full-length tunic, and wore no other armor or decoration of any kind. Above his tummy, was a roundish face, with a bald head save for a few dangling curly hairs. "You can't hurt my pet! You try too hard!"  
  
To Lina, that explained the mystery dragon part. "I see you're intend on hurting us, Mazoku."  
  
"I think he's toying with us," said Filia.  
  
"I'd like to think so," responded Lina, "but dragons that can have multiple heads is a new one in my book."  
  
"Its not a dragon!" yelled Filia.   
  
"Hehehehe. My master says Curly must hurt you!" The little man landed on top of his dragon pet. "Now hurt them! Cause them pain!"  
  
The group sweat dropped.  
  
"Lina," asked Sylphiel, "This Mazoku seemed a bit strange to me. Is something wrong with it?"  
  
Lina nodded. "I dunno, but he seems two sticks short of a campfire."  
  
The little Mazoku yelled again, determined to get Lina's attention. "Now, you stay in one place so I can hurt you!"   
  
Lina tensed madly. "You must be dumber than you look Curly, because for a Mazoku like you, that's a compliment!" she shouted.   
  
*Diem Breeze!*   
  
The spell froze one of the dragon head, causing it to shatter into pieces of black and red. More smoke rose from the body of the dragon, for now the snake-like beast had four heads Out of his long mouths came more strikes of lightening, hitting the her friends on the bridge, and Lina alike to the south.   
  
The petite sorcerer cursed. "Lina!" shouted Sylphiel, after blocking the dragon's lightening shots. "That thing is dangerous! I can't hold out if you keep adding heads to that thing."   
  
*Fireball!* *Fireball!* *Fireball!*   
  
Lina shot another volley of fireballs in disgust, shooting off a couple of more heads. "Die, you miserable excuse for a monster! Why you can't your heads stay dead for once!!"  
  
"No, Lina!!" shouted Amelia, dodging a round of lightening. "What do you think you're doing!"  
  
The dragon roared in delight, with all heads that seemed to number more that eight, it shot lightening strikes everywhere their were humans. Its heads could now face in multiple directions, shooting away in a pure state of amusement. Black smoke from the dragon poured over the bridge, hiding its human occupants from immediate detection.   
  
"Quickly, everyone! Jump over the side wall and hold on!" shouted Zel, a lightening bolt just missing his head as he rolled away.  
  
"Are you crazy!" shouted Filia. "It's a long way down from here, and its not something I can just 'glide' up!"  
  
"Its that, or you're going to be electrocuted!" sniffed the chimera. "And I don't think you want that to happen!" He reached for Amelia and offered the shorter one a boost over the side of the railing.  
  
*Fireball!* *Fireball!* *Fireball!*   
  
Lina stared for a second, waiting for the black smoke to clear away. "Have you had enough, Curly, or should I take more pot shots at your little pet."   
  
"Hehehehe, you never learn Lina Inverse. My pet is developing off of your stupidity, I'm so much enjoying this fun!" The clouds cleared as a multitude of dragon heads appeared, all stalking in delight, downward at the petite sorcerer. The dragon's snake heads now dominated the body, it was as if someone had taken a dragon and stuck a bunch of octopi on it.   
  
Amelia looked at Gourry and Zel, all hanging on the opposite side of the siderail of the bridge. "Where's Filia?" she asked.  
  
"I think she made it over to Lina's side," answered the chimera. "Dammit, we're pinned until she bails us out."   
  
"Lina's help?" trembled the petite princess, still hanging onto the rocky ledge in sheer fright.  
  
"She's a fool! She's a fool!" The Mazoku was happily dancing above his pet's heads, teasing his poor victims. "More heads! More heads! And more heads!"  
  
Zelgadis turned his head around across his body. "Lina! Care to give us a hand here?"  
  
"One second, Zel!" She answered with a smirk on her face, giving a wink to the hanging chimera.  
  
"Don't hang around for too long, you know." She could see her friends immediately loosen up.  
  
"I think Lina's is up to something."   
  
Lina turned to find the dragon maiden had joined her on the south side, gasping for air. "Hi Filia, glad you could make it. Now stand next to Sylphiel and give me some more protection against lightening bolts." She winked at the end in a state of control, with Sylphiel smiling a confirmation.  
  
"Hai." She answered.  
  
Lina smiled. "OK, Curly! I've decided to be generous! You asked for more heads, right?" The little Mazoku smirked a bit at the sorcerer's line of questioning, unsure what the next move would be, pointing his stubby fingers at the sorcerer. Before he could answer, Lina jumped another off another round of spells off the tips of her fingers.  
  
*Fireball!* *Fireball!* *Fireball!*  
  
"You're a fooool!!"  
  
*Fireball!* *Fireball!* *Fireball!* *Fireball!*  
  
Black smoke plumed like a volcano over the bridge, taking out the sun, the mountains, with it finally being swept away by the wind. And if one thought the dragon was huge...well, you would have been mistaken.   
  
"Is that enough?" Lina puffed for some air while Sylphiel held the petite woman up. "Heh, its got it be."   
  
"Hold still, Lina..." The shrine maiden applied a light healing spell onto the sorcerer to get her breath back.   
  
"Thanks, Sylphiel. You seem to bail me out a lot."   
  
Lina's target was a tremendous beast of a creature. Unable to fly, it had sunk onto the bridge, its many dragons heads were now everywhere, limping like wet noodles over either side of the railing.   
  
"Wha? Where were you flying, you baka!" groaned Curly. The heads groaned in agony, the shear weight of the beast pinned it to the bridge like a plump turkey.   
  
Curly was on top now, trying with all its might to get his dragon up and airborne, poking and prodding with his short sword. "Wake up! Wake up you horrible beast! You got to kill her!" But the dragon would not budge, the creature seemed stuck fast.  
  
"Come on, Gourry, time to go." Zelgadis used one of the many dragon neck to climb back onto the bridge, apparently safe from the gluttonous beast.  
  
"...darkness beyond twilight, crimson from blood that flows; buried in the flow of time..."  
  
"Lina?" questioned Zel, hearing the chaos words in the distance. He turned around. "Everyone, time to run!"   
  
"...Those who oppose use us shall be destroyed by the power you and I possess..."  
  
"Dragon Slave!!"  
  
"Baka dragon!" shouted Curly, before being disintegrated with his the last of his pet.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
The chaos enhancing dragon slave finally died down, the smoke cloud quickly disappearing from the fierce winds. The monstrous spell had succeeded rather well -- it had taken out the dragon, the little annoying Curly, and the bridge of the ancients.  
  
"Victory!!" shouted Lina, her two fingers high into the air.  
  
Sylphiel and Filia face faulted.   
  
Where the wondrous arch of the ages had been only held little remains of rock and slab in the mountain hills were left. Huge amounts of stone and block just disappeared into Lina's Dragon Slave, never to be seen by human eye again.  
  
"This bridge has been here forever!" shouted the dragon maiden, "its been here for thousands of years! And you're not even here for one day, and its gone!"  
  
Lina hid among herself. "Errrr....look, its not like I meant to blow up the bridge!" She looked at the abyss that had once been crossable, kicking a pebble into the dark chasm. "Can't we just fly over it?"  
  
"No! We can't! I'm not flying around for your enjoyment!" Lina could swear that Filia had shifted colors from yellow to bright red. "Beside, I don't know where I'm going, its not like we can just fly random around here."  
  
"Filia, relax! We should be just a few days north of the Sheik's city, you know the place where Turnip traded for stuff? We'll get to the bottom of this. And I'm sure its a coastal city, so we can take a boat back!"  
  
"I hope you're right Lina, for Cepheid's sake."  
  
"Um, Lina?" Sylphiel tried to butt into the conversation, but was a tad quiet. "Lina?"  
  
The sorcerer turned her head away from the chasm. "I'm sorry Sylphiel. What is it?" Sylphiel has her hands knotted together in a puzzled manor.   
  
"Ummm....where's Gourry dear?"   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"How does this damn thing work?" Gourry shook at the mirror, holding it out to show everyone like a demonstration of a toy at a carnival.  
  
The princess bleeped. "Don't break the thing! It's the only way we can talk to Lina!" shouted Amelia, pointing to the bridgeless cliff.   
  
"Give me the mirror, Gourry!" The chimera made a grab for the object, managing to grab onto a couple of corners. Each man tugged it endlessly in different directions, shoving, cursing. After a few bouts, it then the object lit up in a kaleidoscope of colors.  
  
"Hey! Who am I talking to here!...Is our food all right? Answer me, dammit!"  
  
Gourry managed to get the mirror back from Zel for a second. "I'm here, Lina. I think we're OK."  
  
"The FOOD!"   
  
"Ummm...I'm afraid you blew up our supplies as well."  
  
"Baka." Lina lit a fireball in her hand, and threw it toward Gourry, or at least the image of Gourry into the mirror. Instead of her mirrored side shattering, Gourry got the message right in the smackers.  
  
"Owww..." The swordsman held the mirror out from his charred yet still twitching body.  
  
"Wow," announced Zel, "only Lina could power a spell through these viewing mirror. How fun." The chimera let out a smile of disbelief.  
  
"Not fun," sizzled Amelia, "...scary."  
  
"I heard that!! Now, let me talk to Zel, otherwise you're going to get much worse." The chimera silently obeyed Lina as he picked the mirror from Gourry's charred grasp. "Any idea how you're going to get caught up to us?"  
  
"No..." The rustling in the bushes alerted Zel enough to throw his loose arm into the shrubbery. Out popped the familiar face of Thoth, handled in the head by the strong hands of Zelgadis. "But I've got some volunteers."  
  
"Oh, don't mind me..." answered the maddening old man. "I was just hiding, you know..."  
  
Lina snicker. "Yah, I can see that. Ok, I'll ring you every once in a while. Good luck in getting down here."   
  
Zel was trying in finish his conversation with Lina when Thoth was moving around, trying to break his grip. It was because of Amelia, who was kicking the poor man. "You two-timing...feelin' sicko of an old man..."  
  
"I see you got your hands full. Hand me off to Gourry, would you?"  
  
The chimera handed the mirror back to the blond swordsman. "Watch out, she's testy. And its not her time of the month." And just before he could complete the handoff, Zel got a bit of a shock. "...Ouch!"  
  
"...baka..."  
  
Gourry got his hands and his undivided attention on the mirror. "What is it, Lina?"   
  
"Keep an eye on Zel for me," asked Lina, "he's going through a rough time right now."  
  
"Sure will." Gourry paused for a second to think. "But be careful, Lina."  
  
The sorcerer hissed. "Why would you say that?"   
  
Gourry paused to copulate his thoughts, unusually to the point. "Lina...I'm not there to protect you."   
  
She blushed to an immediate pink. "You know, I'll be back. I promise." The pink quickly reddened into total embarrassment.  
  
"I'm fine!!" screamed the petite sorcerer, "and cut that out!"  
  
"But Lina..." pleaded the swordsman.  
  
"Fireball!"   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
[Lina] {cracks the knuckles} Ahhh, nothing like a little *Dragon Slave* to get those frustrations out...  
  
[Filia] But you always blow up the castle, the bridge, the cave, the town, the lair, the city... {rambles on}  
  
[Lina] Now -- temper, temper, Filia!!  
  
[Filia] WHO'S THE ONE WITH THE HIGH TEMPER!  
  
  
---o--o--o--- 


	6. Chapter 6: Warning! Beware of Priests wh...

---o--o--o---  
  
  
[Filia] {Next to a projector, dressed in cloths from the 1920's} Hey everyone, its time for a bit of a recap. {Rolls film} So far, Lina's damages have take out the chaos power of Monte Darlo and the Bridge of the Ancients. Not bad for our chaos sorcerer so far.  
  
[Lina] {offstage} Filia, if you don't cut this out!  
  
[Filia] So, that's Lina 2, Ancient Wonders 0  
  
[Lina] Filia!  
  
[Filia] {looks back from offstage} Ehm, well, never mind our friend there. She's just a tad upset at the moment. But I'm sure her anger will be returning to normal sometime soon.  
  
[Lina] [charges onto the stage} I heard that! *FIREBALL*!  
  
[Filia] Eeeep! {Runs offstage in fright}  
  
[Lina] {Laughs!} Who is the foolish one now?  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Slayers: Clouds!  
  
Chapter 6:  
Warning! Beware of Priests who have Information!  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Filia!" Lina was painting as she raced up the hill after the shrine dragon. "Don't you think you could wait up for us?"  
  
"Come one, slowpoke..."  
  
The redheaded sorcerer turned back to look for their third member of their small party, Sylphiel. Low fichus shrubs and other boulders and rocks blocked most of the view. But a few seconds later, the figure of the purple-dressed maiden popped up from behind the rocks. "Nice of you to catch up to us, Sylphiel."  
  
The shrine maiden took a few more steps before taking refuge by leaning on a nearby rock. "I'm coming, Lina." Sylphiel suddenly got a nice jolt of steps, as she recharged herself with a quick healing spell.  
  
"Where's Filia?" she asked, now leaning right next to Lina.  
  
"Up there!" Lina pointed up more of the mountain path. "Tell you what-" she said, quickly grabbing onto Syphiel's hand.  
  
"Lina! What are you-"   
  
"LEVIVATION!"   
  
They were up in the air in a flash. They looked at each other, and after a quick nod of confirmation, another spell.  
  
"RAYWING!"  
  
In a few seconds, they landed next to the stopped Filia. The dragon lady was intensely staring at the open map in front of her, with the most puzzled of faces. "Now I was sure that we should have taken a right at that inn back there, then a left at the abandoned castle, but then we should be at a lake then..."  
  
"Filia...do you know where we are? Zel got the information from Thoth - that we were only a couple of days away from the Sheik's city." Lina was angrily tapping her foot, rather impatiently.  
  
The shrine maiden watched the little verbal disagreement with her usual easy-going self. Ignoring them, Sylphiel took to drinking some water. There, she thought, no use in getting involved in such a matter, so let's wander around a bit.  
  
"So why aren't we there, Filia?" tapped Lina.  
  
"Well! I'm sure if we didn't have to stick around all morning having breakfast. We could have made it there by now." Filia was at best, trying to use the unfolded map as a shield against Lina's growing wrath. But the sorcerer's reactions were temporally tamed as best, for Lina was not buying it.  
  
Oh well, thought Filia. Excuse number one was definitely not working. She again pointed to her map. "Look here -- its got these symbols all wrong. How am I suppose to get around on a useless map, for crying out loud."  
  
"Filia, we bought that map three days ago!" Lina was in full rage now, the sudden sign of a lighted fireball in the sorcerer's hand spelled trouble. "Damn it, where are you taking us?"  
  
"Umm....I don't..."  
  
"Filia! Where in the world are we!"   
  
"We...are..." The dragon lady looked up again, this time right behind Lina. "Right next to a temple!"   
  
"Huh?" She stepped backwards another couple of feet, before just noticing a shadow. Over a gap in the trees, was the very top of a circular white dome of a temple, the shape clearly the sign of white magic.  
  
"A temple to Cepheid! Oh Lina-san! How perfect!" squealed Sylphiel, as she hugged Lina in a state of happiness. Lina's angry fireball disappeared right away from the shrine maiden's glomp.   
  
Filia added her point in. "Yea, there we go!"  
  
The sorcerer just ducked her head in shame. "Sheech, you two see a temple to the gods and go all gooey on me. How come we can't stay at a chaos castle or-" Lina could not even finish her sentence, for the two shrine ladies had already grabbed her by each arm. They hauled the poor read-head away, feet-dragging and screaming all the way.  
  
"I'm not going!" Lina screamed.  
  
"But Lina," said Sylphiel, in a rather softer voice than usual. "You promised at Monte Darlo."  
  
"Sylphiel..." Lina groaned. "Its just that Temples...well, you know I get along with white magic..." She sweated a bit, trying to give the shrine maiden a good answer.  
  
The dragon stared back, pointing rudely with her finger. "Oh, stop being such a whiny one?" scolded Filia. The dragon lady had much preferred to do the grilling. "After all, you had better behave, otherwise I won't-"  
  
"I'M NOT GOING!" rebuked the redhead.  
  
"...pay for dinner." Filia shut her mouth quietly, hoping Lina had not heard her words over the sorcerer's statements.  
  
Lina's eyes just glazed over, as she clasped her hands together above her chest. "Oh Filia! You're such a nice dragon!"  
  
"Oh brother."  
  
The three of them dashed up the last bit of mountain. They approached a clearing almost immediately and then a iron-clad gate. The entrance was well-manned with a couple of guards, dressed head-to-toe in light blue cloaks. The guard's overdeveloped clothing hid all of their features expect for hands and faces, yet all the fabric looked light and comfortable for the changing weather.   
  
The group eyed the guards carefully. There wasn't much to distinguish them from any other cloaked stranger, except that each guard had an identical broach on the center-left of their chest, in the shape of a small blue-shaped tear.  
  
Behind the black iron gates, Lina could see rose bushes flowering that lined each side of their passage. The main temple spire peeked most over the shoulder high bushes, as well as a few other scattered buildings. Lush gardens and fields surrounded the temple areas, for the sorcerer could see the countless walkways and benches surrounding the beautiful landmarks.  
  
"So pretty!" commented Sylphiel.  
  
The ladies immediately flagged the attention of the guards.   
  
"Halt, strangers!" The two guards had pikes of 12 feet or more in their hands; they crossed their pikes in a cross over the front of the gate. "Please state your business at the Temple of the Water Dragon King."  
  
"Ahh...so!" Sylphiel smiled, and said words as if they were pre-recorded. "I'm a shrine maiden the area of formally known as Sailroog. I ask for the entrance for myself and my friends."  
  
The guards overlooked the three ladies in the party. "The blond is ok, she passes as a fellow shrine lady."   
  
Lina was getting the attention of the other guard. "However, we will need to 'inquire' some more information from the chaos sorcerer."  
  
"Inquire more?" Lina was a dumbfounded a bit. "What do you mean by that!? And quit looking at my body, damn it!"   
  
"Lina! That is no way to talk to the guards of a Water Dragon's temple!" reprimanded Filia. "Shame on you!"   
  
Sylphiel reacted quietly, her face squinting with anger as her arms crossed tightly over her chest.  
  
The sorcerer blushed as she turned back to the guards. "Oh well, blue boy. How about if we could see the man of the house?"  
  
"We don't get too many visitors to our temple, ever with the symposium and all." He scratched at his wrist, where his cloak edge was. He was about to reject the little redheaded sorcerer when he saw the nodding purple-haired shrine maiden just nod in the background, calming his nerves. "OK, give me a second. I will find the high priest. Watch them while I go."  
  
"OK, you do that."   
  
The second one opened the gate a smidgen for the first guard to get into the grounds.   
  
The ladies sat down in the grass, dejected, as they waited for their fate.   
  
*growl*  
  
"Lina? Can't you control that stomach of yours?" asked Filia.  
  
"Geez, if you didn't mention buying my dinner back there, then I wouldn't be so hungry and upset, would I."   
  
*growl*  
  
"Oh! Excuse me! Lina, Filia." exclaimed Sylphiel, as she covered her mouth with embarrassment.  
  
Filia just chuckled. "Oh well, I guess we're all hungry."  
  
Lina was exhausted. Filia had put them on strict traveling pace for the day. They were finally relaxing, as Lina leaned back into the sunny grass, depressing her body. Ah, she thought; it was time to wait and look up at the sky.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Lina looked around at her surroundings. A sunset. The valley in front of her was rather familiar. Yes! She knew it now; it was the valley from her dreams. But why was she back here?  
  
Damn, stupidly fallen asleep waiting at the front gate. Well, serves me right. If she wasn't eating, moving, or fighting, she'd be sleeping. Funny, for Lina knew she was rarely a lazy person, but alas, she never wanted to sleep for days on end. Oh well. Fighting it was useless...or was it?  
  
"Where is everyone this time!" she grumbled. The rest of the company was usually there with her, but this time Lina was alone, with the sun behind her, the clouds-"  
  
A shadow crept over her position. At first, Lina thought the low cloud had already passed over her position. She felt the sting of moisture on her sitting backside, wiping it away with her hand. The wind whipped up like of an approaching storm, as she turned around to her distraction.   
  
Eyes raced upwards. In the sky, she saw the massive base of clouds, billowing out in all directions. They didn't just move along with the air currents, but they dominated in her sight of view. The effect slowed down time as they came closer and closer.  
  
On the very tops of the clouds were the motions of very earthly objects - water, greenery, trees and shrubs. Then, buildings rose from the mix of clouds and land, adorned with white lofty towers and overhangs.   
  
She heard the squeal in the distance. Dragons, she heard. Lina turned around towards the other way, facing away from the City of the Clouds. She saw the flying of countless dragons as they waved around in shifting circles and groups. Their course she could see was a beeline for the City of the Clouds.  
  
Those must be Cloudminders, thought Lina. How else could explain for the sheer Dragon-like girth of the ancient bridge? She had once seen golden dragons build such massive structures with ease. Now only if-  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted as a bolt of blackness struck through the air. It ripped across the sky, thundering a second later. Images came into view, as Lina thought of them to be humans floating in the air - but a second later she identified them clearly.  
  
Mazoku.  
  
She could faintly identify the outline of a very familiar purple shape. Beastmaster Xellos. He was almost smiling in on the approaching dragons, waiting, turning. He stretched out his arms in exhilaration, cape extended and flapping in the wind.   
  
"No!" whispered Lina, "I'm seeing Xellos..." She swallowed the rest of her words, as her eyes glazed back to the floating city.   
  
Xellos eyes glazed over as he began to let his staff take on a ruby-red glow. Lina looked up in awe, dumbfounded by the sheer energy Xellos had at his fingertips. "No!" But her shouts were too late as Xellos fired his shot at the Dragons...  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"...No! can't stop...history..."   
  
Lina Inverse, one of the greatest sorcerers that the world has seen, the one who could scare humans and dragons alike, loved by few yet feared by bandits leaders everywhere, was curled up on the sunny hill, asleep, sucking on her thumb.  
  
*poke* *poke*  
  
The guards were not stupid. Touching a lady or the appearance of a kawaii little girl would be entirely forbidden by such priest-guards. Instead, they were using the opposite ends of their pikes to wake the red-headed one.  
  
"...five more minutes...Gourry, don't do that!..."   
  
The sorcerer's eyes flickered open gently, they then fluttered angrily. A second later, her hands were in motion, spell casting.  
  
*EXPLOSION ARRAY!*  
  
"EEEEK!" The two blue-robed guards went flying in opposite directions.  
  
"Don't wake me like that!" yelled Lina. "Don't you have any respect for a sleeping beauty? Come on! I'm not some piece of meat you can poke endlessly with the back of your brooms!"  
  
Filia and Sylphiel just stared for a second, flabbergasted. It was Sylphiel that had her open hand over her mouth, whimpering - then cracking up. Filia followed soon into hysterics.  
  
"Lina! ...oh, you do think so highly of yourself!" The dragon maiden snickered at her own words.   
  
"FILIA!!" But Lina's anger softened a bit as she blushed in embarrassment. "Heh..."  
  
"Lina? Is that of Lina Inverse one must presume?" said the scratchy voice from the crowd.  
  
"Hai! And who might you be?" Her eyes turned to the blue guards, who had split the path from the gate to the traveling companions' position. And between them was an older man, dressed in an identical colored blue cape with white trim. His short cropped hair was has white as snow, which conveniently matched his beard. "It is always a pleasure to meet the one who has saved our world, countless times." He let his voice scratch again.  
  
Lina looked at the gentleman. "Tell me, old man. Did you have to leave us out here all day? You know, it's a big hassle-"  
  
"Ahhh, I do apologize, Lina Inverse. But this is the week of the festivals, and we have been running an event for the last couple of days. Please accept my humble regret."   
  
Lina was about the interrupt when the older man continued. "Perhaps...we can make up for it by providing you lodging tonight."  
  
Lina relaxed as she her stance softened. "Very well. I guess I can accept your apology. However, we will need some first-class accommodations."  
  
"Of course. There are lovely suite rooms on the grounds here. And the inn just outside can serve you a variety of meals."  
  
"Well...I guess that sounds OK," said Sylphiel.  
  
"OK? That sounds GREAT!" answered Lina.  
  
"Oh, how rude not to introduced myself." And he bowed. "My name is Jocko Thorton, the leader of the Temple to the Water Dragon." He smiled as he lead the three ladies past the compound entrance. "I welcome you to our residence. Would you first join us in the main Temple?"   
  
"Why sure! We've love to-" answered Lina.  
  
"Ahhh, Lina..." Filia politely tugged over the petite sorcerer to her side. "Umm...if you don't mind - I'll stay around the grounds and meet you out here. Going to another temple of a dragon, well..."  
  
"What?" the sorcerer asked. "What did I do this time?"  
  
Filia blushed. "Actually, you did nothing. It's me." She pointed to herself, just above where the human heart would be. "Its just hard...you know, once being a part of a group of dragons that-"  
  
"But you're not part of that group anymore! Why would you?"  
  
"Lina! Trust me on this. Please?"   
  
Lina patted her dragon friend on the back. "I totally understand. We'll meet you for dinner, ok?"  
  
The dragon nodded in agreement.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Ahhh, the Cloudminders." Jocko the old one leaned back in his chair, relaxing with his feet up on the desk. "I only run this temple here, Lina. Usually bedtime stories are not something I keep up with these days. I am far too busy with priestly matters."  
  
Lina pounded her open palms onto the table. "Come on, Jocko! I know you can do better than that." She stormed away from Jocko's desk, circling around the room like a vulture. "Give me something concrete I can use!"  
  
After a quick tour of the Temple of the Water Dragon, Lina and Sylphiel had found themselves in the lap of luxury in Jocko's private office. It was a marvelous room, with its high-domed ceiling, countless torches, comfortable seating chairs, and ancient bookshelves. The place was very classical, brightly lit with its fresco walls and countless painted images of the blue dragon.  
  
Sylphiel was bewildered by the extravagance. "How do you have such a lovely...temple?" "Ahh, it's the Sheik in the City of the Gold Waves. At least that's what he calls it."  
  
The shrine maiden smiled.  
  
Jocko leaned a bit farther back into his easy desk chair. "I can see you've heard of him. Well, the sheik gave us a 'little' donation when we were starting out. And we've been happy ever since."  
  
Lina refused to sit down and get comfortable. "Come on Jocko, please try to get back to talking about the Cloudminders."  
  
"Hmmm..." The head priest walked over to a nearby bookshelf. "I will tell you, then. Your friend's bedtime story is very much my own life's story. When I was a kid, my brother and I saw the City of the Clouds."  
  
The girl's eyes widened. "I was naïve little kid, barely nine years old. I had always thought it as a legend, and being raised in the strictest care at that not, was never interested in such fairy tales."  
  
"There we were, the two of us hanging out in the fields after a long hard day. We had spent the entire day in school, being tortured by teachers with schoolwork and stuff. How I never really enjoyed school."  
  
"Anyway, as we walked home along the dusty path, a sudden gust of wind came. We were overwhelmed by the gust as we fell flat on our faces. Twisting around, we could only look up and see the City of the Clouds floating over our heads."  
  
Lina sat down on the couch next to Sylphiel, relaxing.  
  
"We couldn't believe it, us normal little kids seeing something that we could have never imagined in our lifetimes. We stared at it forever, remembering it, until the floating city disappeared over the horizon. When we got home, my brother and I told our parents, we told our friends, we even walked up to strangers and told them. We even told the family goat. We told the story so many times..."   
  
A sniffle came out of Jocko's nose as he continued. "Our folks thought we were crazy. I mean, magic is rare in these areas outside where the barrier was once. I immediately forgot the whole thing, but my brother could not. But our folks thought we were nuts, so they sent us both to seminary." Sylphiel was tearing. "That is...so sad!"  
  
Lina just sighed. "Geez, some parents are just mean!"  
  
"Years afterwards, I built this place on the reputation for working so long in the priesthood. The sheik helped, but this place was built by my blood, sweat, and tears. And its accomplishments are for the gods." He looked up at the ceiling. "Its now fifty years later, give a month or so. And I can tell that fairy tale that I never believed like it was yesterday."  
  
"So, you and your brother built this place," answered Lina. "Good for you."  
  
Jocko coughed. "No, the baka is useless, and hasn't been active in the priesthood in forty years. I support his ass a lot, but other than that..."   
  
"OK, enough fairy tales." Lina reached into of her pocket, pulling out a piece of the chaos box, sliding it across the desk. "Tell me what you think of this."  
  
"What is this?" He reach for the corner box artifact, squinting with his old eyes. Jocko's jaw dropped at the outline sketched in the inside of the artifact. "Oh my Cepheid. Aermark was right."  
  
Lina looked up. "Where is he?"  
  
"Who?" asked Sylphiel. "I dunno..."  
  
Jocko just ran to the door. "You mean my brother. The baka genius."   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Halt, stranger!" The two gate guards had their pikes crossed in a familiar pattern. "Please state your business at the Temple of the Water Dragon King."  
  
"I am here for the symposium," retorted the white cloaked man, "I pledge myself to the Water Dragon King." The guards could see the blue tear pinned to his chest.  
  
"Very well, invitee. Do go in." The not-so friendly guards opened the gate for the stranger, grinning like ghosts.   
  
"By the way," asked the visitor, "I'm looking for information on the Cloudminders. Can either of you help me to find out when that lecture is going on?"  
  
The guards broke out into a fit of laughter. "I see, another visitor for the baka."   
  
The other guard was almost in stitches. "Aermark is not speaking this time. His brother has banned him from the show."  
  
"Is that so? Can you tell me why?"  
  
The guard chuckled. "Aermark said he had visited the world inside the magical barrier even before it fell sometime last year. Nobody believed him.   
  
"The guy is a real loon, imagine that!"  
  
The stranger rubbed his handsome chin. "Is that so...he must have a secret, then."  
  
"Yea, right! No one talks to the baka anymore. Poor guy, sprouting stories out of his ass."  
  
The stranger waved. "Ah, is that so. Well, my appointment awaits."  
  
The guards continued to snicker well after the stranger disappeared up the pathways. "Heh, nothing like another moron."  
  
"You're telling me."  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Jocko lead them down a set of worn down steps into the lower areas of the temple.   
  
"Its like a sorcery laboratory down here," said Sylphiel.   
  
"Yea, you're brother must be working on some important stuff."  
  
The old man coughed. "Yea, you could say that. But of few of the younger clerics live down here as well. It gives them incentive to stay here, to learn from the wizard, they call him. My brother has barely supported himself in his time."  
  
"Well, did you ever listen to your brother, Jocko?" asked Lina. "I mean, after all, he could have been right."  
  
"No. I never forgave him. He just kept telling the story of seeing that blasted floating city - in sermons, to strangers, to family. No one believed him anymore." Jocko sighed. "So, I haven't believed in him for ages as well. He's part of my shame but he is family. And that's why I support his hide."  
  
"Whatever information he shows you, well, I don't want to know." He pointed to a large wooden door at the end of the passageway. "This is where I leave you. Good luck." Ducking away like a scared cat, he old man slipped right by the two ladies back to his office.  
  
"Lina?" Sylphiel waited until Jocko was out of range until she answered.  
  
"Come on," she answered, dragging the shrine maiden with her. "Let's be polite visitors, shall we?"  
  
Sylphiel nodded.   
  
They walked up to the heavy oak door. "Well, I think we have the right place," pointed Lina. For engraved right in the center door panel was a large cloud.   
  
*Knock* *Knock*  
  
"...keep your shirt on, I'm coming..." The door creaked up a crack, and a very familiar face popped through the crack.  
  
"Jocko!" said Sylphiel, surprised by the identical looking man to Jocko.  
  
"That stick-in-the-mud brother sent you down here to harass me. Man, and what a couple of crazy get-ups you're wearing. You-" as he pointed to Lina, "almost look like a chaos sorcerer. Those jewels of yours on your shoulders are fakes."  
  
Lina growled. "Why you...I ought to-"  
  
"Well, how nice. Tell Jocko to leave me alone!" he squealed.  
  
*SLAM!*  
  
"I'm not going to be ignored that easily!" hissed Lina, pushing her partner Sylphiel away from the door.  
  
"Lina! What are you doing!" exclaimed the shrine maiden.  
  
"FLARE ARROW!"  
  
The ball of fire lit out of her hand, arcing across the hallway, smacking into the wooden door and blowing it to piece. At least that's what Lina thought.  
  
It hit the door squarely in the middle. Instead of shattering, the door absorbed the fireball almost immediately. Like when one throws a stone into a lake, it 'plinks' in before disappearing. The door reacted, slightly shuddering at the absorption of the spell, before returning to normal.  
  
Lina shook her head at a frightening rate. "What the hell?" It didn't take long for a realization to hit her. "Damn it, I can't happen again! I can't deal with losing my chaos."  
  
"Lina? Is something wrong?"   
  
" FIREBALL!"  
  
Same results.  
  
The redhead with the fury to match ran up to Jocko's door. "LET ME IN! Damn you and that door of yours!"  
  
"...Aaah, So you're annoyed are my brother's little minions. Don't come and make fun of me."  
  
"AAAGGH!" Lina pounded at the door a couple of more times in fruitless abandonment. "I give up. This has been such a waste." And she leaned down next to the door via the wall sulking in disgust. "This so sucks."  
  
Sylphiel took a few steps forward and leaned on the oaken door. "Excuse me, Aermark, is there anyway we can talk to you? We mean you no harm. Honestly." Her voice was simple and polite, full of spirit and chagrin. "Please, Aermark."  
  
The ladies heard the click of the latch as the heavy oak door swung open. "Come in," creaked the old man, "I cannot refuse such a humble offer. But beware, you only have five minutes in interrupting my work."   
  
Sylphiel motioned for the sorcerer to follow her into the underground room. Lina grumbled a bit, but they really didn't have much of a choice as they both came in.   
  
"Wow..." A large fireplace took up the left wall, with a huge tapestry overhung the mantle. The rest of the room was lined with book, books, and more books. A large shagged rugged covered the middle of the room, with several high-brow chairs facing around like tall statues.   
  
"You and that your brother really have expensive décor taste."  
  
"Heh, I don't know if that was a compliment or a slap in the face." Aermark was standing in the middle of the room. "Now, I like to know your names, my young lady friends. I believe you already know me." Instead of the simple ornate blue tunics his fellowship brother was wearing, Aermark's outfit was brilliantly wind and outstanding. He ware a brightly red tunic, folded in with gold threads of leaves and other vines.  
  
"You're not in...priest robes?" asked Sylphiel, almost pointing at Aermark.  
  
"Ahh, how very perceptive of you." Aermark seemed the chuckle then laugh from the shrine maiden's question. "Even though I do not do the priestly duties that my twin brother does, I keep up by restoring and repairing magic items. Jocko doesn't really like my career choices, but he provides me with this fine underground laboratory for experiments."  
  
Lina listened while eying the beautiful tapestry on the wall, full of all sorts of dragons - gold ones, black ones, and blue ones. "I see..."  
  
"Now what shall he talk about, Lina Inverse?" Aermark was holding a tray in sugar cookies in front of the petite sorcerer, motioning for her to try a couple of the treats.  
  
Lina's was a bit chocked up by Aermark's correct guess. "I see you're very observant among the inner area that was once sealed by Philbrizzo." She lifted a sugar cookie from the tray, finding it to be in the shape of a dragon. She took a bite. "Umm...at lesst theeze..ood cookies!"  
  
"Oh, and I'm Sylphiel Nels Lahda." She giggled a bit after nibbling a bit of her own cookie. "So good!"  
  
"Heh...I know. I'm glad you're enjoying them." Aermark turned around and placed the cookies down on the table behind him. "So, I see Jocko has hired you, for I never thought he would be so clever."  
  
"Now wat jizt a minete!" Lina chewed her sugar cookie quickly to dust, swallowing the whole bit in one bite. "I didn't take the job! We're...errr...on another job! "  
  
"Lina! Do you mean that we are down here for just for the money!" asked Sylphiel.  
  
"Well...no, Sylphiel." Lina leaned a bit closer to the shrine maiden, whispering. "We're down here to get to the bottom of this - you know, Zelgadis is..." and she shut her mouth when Aermark came over and interrupted their little discussion.  
  
The old man was tapping away with his foot, awaiting a reply. "You have one second to tell me why you're here, Lina. I tire of this and I have a lot of work to do tonight." Aermark crossed his arms, determined to hear a good answer.  
  
Lina did not like taking orders. "You have got to be kidding! I don't take-"  
  
"Lina!"  
  
The sorcerer and Aermark looked over at the once quiet shrine maiden. "I'm sorry, but Lina, you're not being very polite about the whole thing here." The purple maiden's voice was more upset than anyone had ever noticed. "I don't believe you, coming in here and upsetting this kind old man. He even offered you cookies."  
  
Lina blushed from pink to red. "Ummm..."  
  
"Now," asked Sylphiel, "give him the piece we found on Turnip's tower." Lina grumbled a bit as she fished out the corner of chaos box from her pocket. Sneering, she handed it to Aermark.  
  
"Hmmm..." The old man held the broken corner up into the light. "I don't think its that's special-" His words stopped as he turned the broken corner over. "An artifact!" Aermark turned around at Lina again. "Where did you get this?" he asked.  
  
"We got it from a 'chaos' box, as one of our friends referred to it as." Lina circled around a bit around Aermark, reaching into her bag. "As I suspected. You don't know about the City of the Clouds, do you?"  
  
"On the contrary. I know an extraordinary amount of information. I can imagine you have in your possession a small, clear quartz-like stone. It admits no magic whatsoever. And it came from this chaos box, a piece of that exact box which I'm holding in my hand."  
  
Lina held out her over prize. "You mean, this lovely?" The clear crystal shined in the candlelight of Aermark's room. "I do imagine you've been looking for one like this."  
  
"I can more than imagine." Aermark reached into his own pocket and removed a chaos stone of his own, seemingly identical in size and shape to the Lina's own find. "I see we both have artifacts from the City of the Clouds."   
  
"You are very right, my friend," answered Lina.   
  
Lina and Aermark were still wary of their information exchange. But the two finally warmed up into a peaceful conversation, with a bit more ribbing from Sylphiel at some of the finer points. It was an hour later when the three of them were finally seated around fireplace, free-floating their discussion across no boundaries.  
  
Lina didn't tell Aermark, everything, however. She left out the finer points of Zel's transformation, while Sylphiel filled in a couple of pieces where Lina was brief.   
  
"So, I blew up Turnip's little box, and that's why we're here to find the answers." Lina took another bite of a sugar cookie before finishing. "So, what else can you tell me about the City of the Clouds. I know you're letting me talk more."  
  
"Ah, you are very perspective, Lina. Very well." He sighed, turning his face away for a second.   
  
"It started a long time ago, much before you and any other humans were ever born. From the history texts, not much is known about the City of the Clouds." Lina frowned almost immediately, hoping for more exacting information.  
  
"However, the City of the Clouds, and the Cloudminders do, in fact, date from times shortly before the War of the Monster's Fall. Most certainly."  
  
Lina and Sylphiel each turned stark white. "You're tell me that city has been floating around for over 1,000 years! Impossible to believe!"  
  
"Hai," said Sylphiel, "I'd have to agree with Lina on this one."  
  
"Yes, the city is somewhere in the south Icehills, about 4 days journey from here. Its not far inland from the coast, either. There are too many artifacts and markers that point to this place, especially close to the site. However, if you go there now, the City of the Clouds will not be there.   
  
"WHAT!" Lina's eyed flamed red. "How can that be?"  
  
"Again, I have worked years on this. In charting journals of history, the City of the Clouds has appeared at various times in the past. And there are fake sightings by the usual wacko groups as well." Aermark pulled at a small logbook at the end of the shelf. "However, based on my research into history, I believe the city will appear over the Ice Hills in ten days."  
  
"TEN DAYS!"  
  
Aermark snapped his log book shut and returned it to the shelf. "Yes. You see, I first saw the City of the Clouds when I was nine years old. My brother Jocko was at my side. In return for my gift, I've dedicated my life to return to the city, to see it again with my own eyes. My brother and his kinds have made me part of their laughing stock."  
  
"I know Aermark, but..."  
  
"This the journey has been long and difficult. I need to prove them wrong. Even if I'm not able to fly up to it in my elder condition, my own debt to say...shall be repaid."  
  
The girls were just silent.  
  
"The journey...yes, the journey has been very exciting indeed..." Aermark's words seem to trail off. "You know...I've spent an eternity..." He gently coughed as he walked around the room. "I am tired, Lina Inverse. Sylphiel Nels Lahda. I shall like to retire for the night."  
  
"But Aermark!"  
  
Sylphiel just nodded her head. "He does sounds tired, Lina. Maybe we should come back."  
  
"You're right, Sylphiel."   
  
"Awe, why the long faces! I want you two ladies to please back tomorrow," said Aermark, holding the front door open. "I do have much more to tell you. Much more."  
  
"You can count on it, Aermark." said Lina, closing the way behind her.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Filia waited outside the Temple to the Water Dragon King. Hmph, she really couldn't think of a good reason for not going in. What she had told Lina had been something of a farce, that she was a Dragon that still pledged to the her own Fire Dragon king. Although she had never thought that visiting the temple of another god...well, what's wrong with that?...she swore never to be loyal to her sect again. Maybe nothing, Filia thought, but not she was determined not let it bother her.   
  
So, she lounged outside in the gardens. They were immaculately kept, the perfectly groomed shrubs and grass were all tended by the grounds crew of humans. They also wore the same boring light blue outfits, hiding most of their faces, arms, and expressions to Filia.   
  
Oh well, she thought, as the dragon lady walked down the path. No one was going to be social to her, to possibly take her to dinner, or maybe put her up in their home for the night. Bleh, she already had free housing. She doubted that those gardeners really earned that much coin.   
  
Depressed as hell with no manly dragon boyfriend, Filia sat down on a nearby bench sulking.  
  
"Hello, my dear..." The voice next to her was older, with a wiser touch.  
  
The dragon maiden turned to her right and found the bench was already occupied by one of the water shrine gardeners. His face was well hidden by his cloak, but she could see his older hand on a cane. Old, Filia thought, but then...  
  
"Hello, sir..." She was intrigued, nevertheless. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it? Care to walk around instead? Perhaps with some company?"  
  
The gentleman next to her turned to toward Filia, uncovering his cloak. "My...my...so forward, Filia-chan!"  
  
"XELLOS!" she yelled. In one fluid motion, she flicked out her spiked mace in one hand, and shot it out at the Mazoku.  
  
The purple priest quickly disappeared from his bench spot. Where his tush had been, Filia smashed her mace right through the thin wooden bench. Pieces went flying, splintering everywhere into small pieces all over the splendid gardens.  
  
"For Cepheid's sake, I can't believe you would take advantage of me like that, you piece of garbage. I always suspected you would just sneak up on me to take advantage of my poor helpless yet stunning dragon body."  
  
Xellos popped back into existence, close to the shattered bench Filia had destroyed. "Such fiery anger, Filia. Yet, with such tenderness. There is a reason I do like hanging out with you. But take advantage of you? Surely you don't think of me that low."  
  
"Shut-up, Xellos. I wonder how you can stand such a place!"  
  
"Yea, you would think that the water dragon priests would protect this place a bit better with spells. But alas, I can always find a way around most defensive Mazoku barriers. This place is rather enjoyable to say at least."  
  
She let the obvious self-hating comment drop. "I'm sure you're a very resourceful one," nodded Filia. "You've got a real way with others, especially in that getup of yours"  
  
The purple priest nodded. "In fact, I walked up right to the front door and asked for a look around the gardens. I knew they would let me in, me being a kind old man in their robes."  
  
"Kind. Well, there's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one. It figures." Filia continued to spat her words with distaste. "And what reason do I owe the displeasure of your company. Is it that your curious?"  
  
"Ahhh, but not just curious. After all, I've been busy talking to Lina, so I thought a quick chat with you might be fruitful as well." His listener just glared up at him. "But, alas, the real reason that I'm down here."  
  
"Yes??" Filia nodded up with her eyelids, expecting a good answer.  
  
"That...is a secret." And Xellos just remotely smirked.   
  
"Aaaaagh!!" She swung the mace again at the priest, missing him again as he disappeared and reappeared a couple of feet away.  
  
Xellos pointed to where he once stood. "I do believe your aim is off, little dragon lady." He tuned and half-smiled at Filia. "Perhaps you are distracted?"  
  
"I AM NOT DISTRACTED!" But the words rang rather hollow, for poor Filia was in a dizzy spell. She collapsed onto the grassy ground in a heap of her own dress, half hazardly placing the spiked mallet on the nearby soil. "I'm just tired of traveling, that's all. I wish I was home at my inn, with Valgaav. Even Juras, I can't believe I miss the baka. I wish I didn't..."  
  
The Mazoku sat down right next to Filia on the grass. "You mean, you having to come down here?" Xellos placed his hands folded under his chin. "Oh, I must hear this! Please do tell me why you're here with Lina."  
  
Damn, cursed Filia. I can't keep anything to myself. Now I'll have this piece of garbage following me all throughout my trip, just making my life miserable. She shuddered at the thought. Oh well, there's always...  
  
She turned back to Xellos. "I'm here going the sheik's city, to sell my vases. I heard they could fetch a hefty overcharge down on the lower coast, now that the barrier has been broken. And I heard the sheik would pay a lot for exclusive artwork."   
  
"Ahhh, so." The purple priest nodded to the answer. "But I'm afraid that's not the real reason that why you're down here."  
  
Filia was in disbelief. "Shame on you to think I was 'up to' something, Mazoku. I'm not usually that honest." But her words were rather quiet and self-spoken, almost to herself.  
  
"I don't believe you. In my existence...well, I've perhaps exaggerated a bit, stretched the truth, and have kept quiet." Xellos paused for a second, picking out his words carefully to Filia. "But, alas...I've never lied."  
  
The dragon's flush went from rose to deep red. Her throat was suddenly very dry, for she could barely utter a single word.  
  
Xellos stuck his head a bit closer, grinning like a ghost. "My, my...my little dragon. I never thought you would be more intriguing to me...after all, you've become...cunning."  
  
"AAAGH!! I don't have to answer to you, Xellos!" She pushed him back with the palm of her hand, right back into the opposite corner of the bench.  
  
He stumbled off the bench, tumbling on the grass in a bit of sarcasm. After a pop in and out of the Astral plane, Xellos was on other side of the bench, right behind Filia's opposite side.  
  
"The City of the Clouds," he whispered in her other ear. "I will tell you a little secret, however. I was there. I was there on the orders from my master."   
  
Filia's jaw dropped.  
  
"And what a wonderful battle it was, for I had taken out a squadron of them with one shot. They had such incredible power, for taking out so many of my brethren."  
  
Xellos undoubtedly clashed his words together in statements. "Those miserable Cloudminders, always thinking for themselves. It amazing that they have survived for as long as they have."   
  
She just stared away, dumbfounded by Xellos' news.   
  
"But then, little Filia, why are you down here. Ahh, perhaps to help Lina on her mission of mercy." Xellos switched around as whispered into Filia's other ear. "I think not."  
  
Filia suddenly turned bright red. "...How...could..." She turned around in the direction of Xellos. "But! You can't-" But Xellos was already a fart in the wind, gone from sight.  
  
The dragon lady shook herself. No way, she thought, could that sneaky bastard know the truth. But he was there. He knew it all. If he was there, then what did he know now?  
  
"Filia!"   
  
"Lina! Sylphiel! Where have you two been?" she asked.  
  
"Ahh, talking a lot and trying to figure out all this mess," answered Lina. "By the way, aren't you going to buy us two dinner?"   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Xellos flashed himself quietly into the Aermark's room, right behind a dusty set of shelves. It was late into the night, very close to the upcoming sunrise. He petered around the bookcase corner, looking for an excuse to maybe get rid of a guard or two. Stretch and feed off of some anguish. Alas, Aermark left his quarters bare of any assistants, helpers, or even other golems to help him complete his tasks. He had already guessed that Aermark was not very much of the trusting type, but more of the fruitcake type than anything.  
  
He peeked out from around the corner of the bookshelf. There was Aermark, his back to Xellos, standing up and working on a current lab project. The heavy wooden table was endlessly lined with experiments, some in clear cylinders and jars, others with chemicals floating in liquids other than water. Aermark's attention was on a series of experiments, for Xellos could see he was busy scribbling away notes in his small log journal.   
  
"Hmmm..." whispered the mysterious priest, "I would thought after Lina's visit, he might have rested. I guess not."  
  
Aermark had finished his mix of ingredients in a small wooden bowl. He gently poured the contents over a crystal that was on his wooden counter.  
  
Xellos watched as the white liquid from the bowl slowly drip onto the clear sliver of crystal. After a few drops, Aermark set the bowl down and held his open-faced hands over the crystal.  
  
The wizard-priest spoke a few words that Xellos could barely pickup with his ears. Chaos words! And they were in dragon tongue! Xellos immediately smiled a bit, not recognizing the spell but nevertheless understand the complexity of the spell.  
  
The drops on the crystal glowed lovely white for a couple of seconds. Then, as soon as it had began, the drops disappeared as they seeped into the crystal.  
  
"Yes!" cried Aermark, "It is...possible!" He stared at the sitting crystal on the table, congratulating himself for a second, unable to do much else.  
  
Xellos came out from behind the bookshelf, his staff ready and high into the air. He smirked a bit, thinking how he would tear into the poor man, after a good scare or two. Whatever projects he was working on, those secrets that Aermark only knew would soon be his to command.  
  
*Knock!* *Knock*  
  
"Coming! Keep your shirt on!" shouted Aermark, annoyed by the latest disturbance. "You had better have a good reason for visiting so late at night!" The wizard-priest was quick on his feet, he had already shuffled out of the room leaving Xellos alone, sweatdrop and all.  
  
Damn it, thought Xellos, I was just about to scare the living daylights out of him and he gets a visitor. Oh well, at least he could hear the conversation at the door.  
  
"...Aermark Thorton the wizard-priest?"  
  
"...yes? Can I help you?"  
  
"Forgive me, kind sir," gruffed his visitor. "I have traveled for endless days and nights. My quest is of a humble one, for I am in need of information on the City of the Clouds."  
  
"Ah, another one. Well, you might as well come in, I'm sure you'll like my sugar cookies just like my other earlier visitors."  
  
"Oh, thank you! Thank you kind sir." Xellos could hear the door close as the Aermark and the stranger settled in the foyer.  
  
"Guess I'll just have to wait it out," murmured Xellos. He looked on the wooden counter and saw the clear quartz-like crystal shine in the candlelight. The sucker practically had on a 'steal me' sign, so Xellos scooped up the prize and placed it in his satchel.  
  
"...so, you believe the City of the Clouds will be here. I heard you are leaving soon."  
  
"You've been asking around the Temple, I see. How very intuitive of you." answered Aermark. "In less than two weeks, to the far south. It shall be there. I'm first going to see the sheik, however..."  
  
"...I see, and you're sure about that."  
  
"Uh-huh. Quite sure about it. I even told those ladies - that brunette shine maiden was so nice to me, I shall really try to have her here for a fellowship." A plate or two shifted around. "Sugar Cookie?"  
  
The stranger coughed. "No, thank you. Now, perhaps you could give me the chaos stone in your possession? I believe its back in your lab."  
  
In utter shock, Aermark dropped his plate of cookies onto the wooden floor. The poor ceramic dish shattered loudly into hundreds of pieces. "How...did you know! I've only showed it to a handful of people!"  
  
Xellos was curious, for the stranger's questions had suddenly grown from tiresome to a very interesting line of information, indeed the stranger's voice went from innocent to interrogation mode all on the flip of a coin.   
  
"Oh, I've been watching for this for a long, long, time. It's my job, as you know," answered the stranger, coming up to his feet.  
  
"You're not getting the stone." The wizard-priest struggled to his feat as well, with the help of his cane. The man was obliviously in pain. "What do you want, stranger? I'm old and feeble beyond my years."   
  
"I want the chaos stone."  
  
Aermark tapped the end of the cane on the carpet. "You're not human, are you?"  
  
"No, I'm not."  
  
"Well, its nice of you to drop by and insult me. Now leave!"  
  
"No, Aermark. Its only now that I've had to become involved." said the stranger, pacing around the room. "Its unfortunate that is has come to this....now." Xellos still couldn't see all of the action, but only the illumination of transformation magic in the other room.   
  
"Now, WHERE IS IT!"  
  
Xellos' eyes finally managed to peek around the corner. He saw Aermark's face horrifyingly glazed over by the stranger. The mysterious visitor's back was still to Xellos, his body soaked in a bath a red magical chaos. "How interesting..." he murmured.  
  
"I will not give such a device to you!" shot back the old man.  
  
"You have no choice, old man! See into me and know who I am. If you do so-"  
  
"Who are you!" screamed Aermark.  
  
"You know, don't you." deadpanned the stranger.  
  
"The Mazoku's have no right! You-" Aermark's speech was suddenly cut off, as Xellos heard what was like very heavy sandbag hitting the floor. It was the stranger, swinging his own body into Aermark, knocking him to the ground.   
  
"Baka. I have all the right," said the stranger. "I have every intention of keeping the secrets to the City of the Clouds forever sealed. No one is to go. No one."  
  
Aermark groaned in pain on the ground, for Xellos could hear him dragging his own staff around the rock floor.   
  
"And now that you know my identity, my friend, you shall die."   
  
*CRUNCH*  
  
It sounded like the crunch of dried sticks. Aermark was in too much pain to say anything else, but Xellos could hear his body gasps his last breaths of air. If he had been human, Xellos would have been sick to his stomach, indeed. But the Mazoku had enjoyed the interrogation immensely, even if he wasn't feeding on Aermark's own fears. For Xellos was quite sure that Aermark had never been so scared in his entire life.  
  
Xellos leaned up from his hidden position, almost smiling. "Oooh, look at the time, I must be going." And in hearing himself, the purple priest disappeared from reality.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Lina! Lina! Wake up!" Sylphiel shook at the sorcerer, who was still sleeping in her own bed well past breakfast time.  
  
"...wha...Gourry...cut it out..." Lina slapped the maiden priest away for a second before gaining consciousness. "...What's going on, Sylphiel. Can't I get more shuteye?"  
  
"You've got to get up. Something is terribly wrong at the temple. Jocko has already sent a messenger for us to come. As quickly as possible, Lina."  
  
"...OK." The little redhead crawled out of bed and went over the dresser the comb her lengthy hair. "I guess breakfast is out. I'll be downstairs in one minute."  
  
"Hai!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
They followed the messenger, a younger member of the robed priests down the stairways to the tunnel by Aermark's chambers. There were too many guards in the passage, making their second basement trip difficult.   
  
The three ladies, this time Filia tagged along as well, found themselves just outside of Aermark's foyer door when they met Jocko. The high priest looked clearly shaken up, his cloak was dirty and his unrobed head hair was a mess.  
  
"Lina! Thank Cepheid you made it here right away." said Jocko, clearly distracted. "I just..." Jocko's face was all red, eyes swollen so shut they could no longer shed tears. "Its my brother..."  
  
The shock was behind Jocko, past the open oaken door. On the floor, was the sprawled body of Aermark. It had the look of being attacked by wild animals, with an extreme prejudge of anger. The force of nature had ripped apart Aermark not with a sliced weapon but with something utterly inhuman, accomplishing their dreaded tasks by ripping, shearing or tearing apart Aermark into pieces. One of his hands was partly holding onto one of his dragon cookies, clearly crunched and stained with blood.   
  
But the most frightening part of all was Aermark's face. It was not the expected expression of pain and suffering, but the face of utter and desolate fear.  
  
"How..." Lina fell to the ground. "...inhuman."  
  
Sylphiel saw the sight right behind Lina. She could only prevent herself from gagging right there by turning away as quickly as possible, burying her crying head right into Filia's chest.   
  
"There...there..." Filia patted the other shine maiden on the back, hoping to relieve her pain.   
  
Lina turned her attention back to Jocko. "You don't think we did this to him, do you?"  
  
"No, of course not. But the body is still strangely warm to the touch. The blood on the wall is dry, however - so whoever did this was here a few hours ago and not before."   
  
The sorcerer turned back to room, taking a couple of steps in with Jocko quietly following her. "Only a man-beast or a Mazoku could do such a thing. Whoever did this, is hot on our trail as well."  
  
Jocko sorely nodded his head.  
  
Lina attention flashed for a second as she scanned the bookshelves. "Jocko, please don't mind me, but I need to take something of your brother's. If you don't mind."  
  
"No, please, go ahead."  
  
Lina moved her fingers along unlit she got to a very small book. She tugged it out with her index finger, opening up the small volume. "Yes, its here." And the sorcerer started reading...  
  
"Anything, Lina. I'll do anything to get to the bottom of this." Jocko coughed as his voice trailed off. "But I think you should also see the lab."  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah..." Jocko led Lina down a passage beyond the foyer into a much larger room. "There used to be a lot of junk in these lab rooms. Most of it Aermark was repairing for nearly towns and cities."  
  
"What a mess." said Lina.  
  
The laboratory had been trashed. The floor was littered with broken glass beakers and countless experiments. The beaker liquids all conversed, looking like a pool of dried mud. Shredded papers were everywhere.  
  
"What in Cepheid's name was he looking for?"  
  
"This." Lina fished around in her pocket and showed Jocko the quartz object she had obtained from her adventures in Monte Darlo.   
  
"No..." Jocko stared at Lina's crystal for a bit. "I know that my brother had one, he even showed it to me one time, but I dismissed his findings as childish fanfare." Jocko looked even more puzzled now. "We've already done a search, but didn't find another key, Lina. I don't know where it is."  
  
"Key?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, I believe my brother mentioned them as chaos stones. But he also called them clouds keys. Mind you, we all thought his names for these inanimate objects was just nuts."  
  
"Heh, I can understand." She took her treasure back and hid it again among her own self.   
  
"Sir!" It was one of the many guards from the temple. "The elders are calling for an emergency council meeting. They are asking for your attendance."  
  
"I will be there shortly." Jocko turned back to Lina. "Please excuse me, but I've got business to attend to. I will help if I can."  
  
"You got that right," answered the sorcerer, as Jocko left Lina to her thoughts.   
  
Many of things were becoming afoot, thought Lina. The Mazoku were surely behind this entire mess, the loss of Aermark only confirmed the doubts she had once had. Xellos had almost been avoiding her, she knew the purple priest was up to his neck in his mess.  
  
No matter. Whatever trouble they were in was getting more dangerous. Lives were now being sacrificed in exchange for information. Someone clearly was trying to keep a lid on everything...from what Aermark knew, to the Cloudminders and the City of the Clouds.  
  
"Lina!" It was Sylphiel, in slightly better spirits, with Filia in tow. "Are you OK?"  
  
"Yea, I'm fine." Lina wiped away another tear from her cheek. "Let's go soon, we haven't got much time."  
  
"Hai."  
  
For Lina was now on a mission. It wasn't just for Zel, and for Aermark and herself as well. She was sure that whatever was happening, would very much decide the fate of a whole lot of people. And, she thought, maybe she could pick up a couple of treasures along the way. That was almost certainly a possible, nay?  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Ahh, the adventure continues...and continues...  
  
- Incantrix  
  
Home of the Slayers Fan Fiction Archive  
http://www.slayersff.com  
  
  
---o--o--o--- 


	7. Chapter 7: No Problem! Blue Skies are Ea...

---o--o--o---  
  
  
[Zel] {Sits on a stool in the old theatre} You know, this Lina searching stuff is really getting out of hand. I mean, she makes us split up...  
  
[Lina] {offstage} My fault! I did not make everyone split apart! It was some Mazoku fool and his pet!  
  
[Xellos] {pops in, wearing a clown nose} Did someone call for me?  
  
[Zel] {grumbles} No.   
  
[Xellos] Awwwweee, and here I am all dressed in costume…  
  
[Zel] Go away...  
  
[Xellos] Why? Think you're going to find a cure without me?  
  
[Zel] {gulps} I said…get out of here!! NOW!  
  
[Xellos] Fine. I know when I'm not wanted {disappears}  
  
{Poof! Clown nose reappears on Zelgadis' face}  
  
[Zel] Xellos!!  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Slayers: Clouds!  
  
Chapter 7:  
No Problem! Blue Skies are Easy!  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Zel was hungry, tired, and miserable. Not necessary in that order. They had journeyed for days along the northern ridge of the cliff, hoping for another way to get across the great windy cavern. He had hoped that after two days of constant travel, they would be closer to the other side, so he and Amelia, with Gourry and the stranger Thoth as air passengers, could Raywing across to the Sheik's city.   
  
No such luck.  
  
Instead of the huge chasm coming closer and closer together, the valley widened considerably. Soon, it was too wide to even Raywing across, without the needed stop for a rest. That didn't take into account the high winds that would surely ground any sorcerer from ever escaping. Instead, he had very much hoped for another bridge, a perhaps a tunnel or some other way to get across the channel.   
  
He looked again across the way, and wow, it was quite a ways. Very far. Yes far. Quite unflyable. No way.  
  
"Are we there yet?" It was the little brunette princess, walking along his left side.   
  
"No, not even close." The chimera couldn't even see the other side. "Its too far, can't you see that?"  
  
"But..." She pointed her eyes back to Thoth, who was trailing the rag-tag bunch of misfits. "He told us this was the way. Its not like we're-"  
  
"Lost? Of course we're lost." The chimera's voice was unusually bitter even for his usual self. "I wouldn't expect us to become lost…hmmm?"  
  
Amelia looked around at the little greenery there was. A few nimble scrub bushes lined a couple of rocky points and hills, but they were thorny and dried out at best, defending themselves well with plenty of pricks. There was a total lack leafy greens, Not even a tall palm or fruit tree.  
  
The land was dry, endlessly baked from the years and years of direct sun. The reddish-brown clay soil was incapable of holding any moisture. The path was so parched and flattened, that the lack of food and water at least made for easy walking.   
  
"Hungry..." Gourry was complaining from the back of the line, holding his new pal Thoth by the waist as they dragged onward. The chimera could swear the two of them were enjoying each other's anguishing company, dragging forward through the clay desert.  
  
"Zel! Look!" Amelia had run up ahead, teetering on top of a nearby rock, scouting ahead for clues. She stepped up higher to get a better look, as was soon balancing on top of a very nasty pricker bush, trying to keep stable while standing on the narrow wooden branch. "Over there," she pointed, "I see a tower! It's huge! I think if we...eeeep!"   
  
The dry wood gave way, causing the princess to stumble into the interior of the bush, feet first. "You are an evildoer, a plant from doom! I order you to release me!" A few more seconds of rustling did not signal the liberation of Amelia.   
  
Zel frowned.  
  
"Way to go Amelia!" yelled Thoth, egging her on. "Defeat them all!"  
  
"You have no right to hold me hostage!" The bush shook from Amelia's words, if it had the power to throw out the princess, it would have done so already. "Justice shall always triumph in the end..."  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
The dry bush exploded into a giant torch of flames, igniting and extinguishing within seconds. Amelia back flipped out of the bush , gently landing with her feet on another outcropping of rocks.  
  
"Victory!" yelled Amelia, posing up with her signature fingers into the air.  
  
Zel sweatdropped. "I'm sure I can arrange a high-level Mazoku to come and visit instead." And he smirked a bit.  
  
Amelia crunched up, tightening her fists into balls. "You wouldn't dare!"   
  
The chimera's face threatened to blow into a full-blown smile as he turned to group towards where Amelia had pointed.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Biru was hungry, tired, and just miserable. In that order. He had journeyed for days; the last twenty-four hours had been most undesirable. He checked his handy inn guide for clues to local places, the book read with such kind reviews of the area -- 'Avoid at all cost, desert is death trap' and 'You'd be crazy to refuse fly-infested food, instead of dying!" The restaurant reviews of his patrons only made him that much sicker.  
  
'Service sucks out here. I will need to recommend to any innkeeper to charge double Lina Inverse Tax is such a nasty environment. No one, and I mean no one could survive in such an environment.'  
  
"Uhh, boss." It was one of Biru's minions, one of the loser ex-guards from Turnip's now defunct casino. "Don't you think we should be looking for some food, or maybe some water?"  
  
Biru's stomach rumbled.   
  
The innkeeper looked back on his ragtag troops. He could swear his group had been much larger, even if he had lost a few of them at the Ancient bridge. A few more to the desert, and a couple more ran for food. His bunch was now down to less than a dozen strong-armed men. But never were there as loyal a group of anti-Lina haters around.   
  
"Fear not, troops. I have faith in the gods that we will find sanctuary by the end of the day, I swear."  
  
"Don't be so sure, my friend." This made Biru turn around all the way, making his gaggle of troops split up and separate.   
  
"Turnip!" Biru's jaw nearly hit the dry sand; he was shocked to see Lina's other nemesis standing right there, in the flesh. Turnip's ex-troops, on the other hand, took even more steps back and circled behind the old innkeeper, scared witless at seeing the ghost.  
  
However, Turnip looked rather normal in all accounts, except for his languishing hair that was matted over his forehead and eyes. He was also clothed in a simple brown robe, of canvas or other harsh fabric. Biru could also see that Turnip was sweating up a storm, even though the desert was dry as a bone, his own body parched for liquid refreshment.  
  
"You are very surprised to see me. I see that." Turnip took a couple of steps forward, staring down at Biru. "I'm here to discuss, of course…Lina Inverse."  
  
Biru took out his chef's knife from his back pocket, the blade a small square ax in his hands. "This blade is enchanted, and therefore I can use it on you if I have to." He rubbed the blade with the edge of his thumb, well satisfied by its sharpness. "It's a cursed object. Took it from an employee of mine that liked to takes the lives of bad inns and restaurant owners, you see. Fed him some poisoned wine before he could lay a finger on my employees. I'm quite sure it would agree with your appetite."  
  
Turnip stared down at the blade, then at Biru. "I congratulate you. You are a lot smarter than I've been led to believe. You're not a foolish mortal, and because you are useful -- I won't kill you and take your troops."  
  
Biru growled.   
  
Turnip turned around to the desert, lifting his hands into the air. Dust circled a bit, then the air became heavy with moisture. As the wind struck the clay sand dunes, it separated the sands as if a valley were opening up right before their eyes/.   
  
Out of the deepest sand emerged giant skulls -- long, slender beaks of four to five feet, they shone in the sunlight. There was not a stitch of meat attached to their bony frames; nevertheless the dragon-like creatures were alive as their eye sockets glowed ruby-red. More sand came up, revealing their sets of matching wings and a lengthy tail.  
  
"You will use these creatures, Biru. These Bone Dragons have been lying here in wait, defeated by their brethren so long ago. They are hungry for revenge, forever angry at the dragons and the associates that killed them, without extinguishing their hungry souls. They have pledged to the Mazoku for a…time. Use them to defeat Lina Inverse and her friends."  
  
A guard behind Biru scowled. "What if I don't want to take your orders, Turnip…or whoever you are now?"  
  
Turnip snickered. "How foolish. Well, I suppose you don't have to listen to me. That's fine. Then, my brother, you all die."  
  
Biru stared down. "Then we have little choice…baka. What are we to do?"  
  
Turnip tilted his head back and let out a sickening laugh. "Whatever I tell you to do…old friend!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
The group continued to follow the cliff's edge in Amelia's pointed direction. A few minutes later, they saw a skinny tower, impossibility white against the red clay sand. The flat ground was now perfectly hard and crusted, lacking anything resembling of plant life. It was not even sinking under Zel's steps anymore.  
  
Gourry's eyes were lit up like traffic lights as his sniffed the air with abandon.  
  
"You smell something, Gourry?"  
  
"I sure smell it," said Thoth.  
  
"Yea," answered the swordsmen. "That odor is…tasty. Its got to be…food!"  
  
They approached what one could call a small town, impossibly existing in the middle of nowhere. The white squared tower dwarfed smaller buildings and huts, mostly made from a combination of baked red clay and pricker bushes. A couple of people were scattered around the small dwellings, keeping themselves occupied in their own matters.   
  
The group quickened their pace to a run, sensing civilization and the stability that came with it. The bodies that were once there made themselves rather scarce by the time they arrived. A few minutes later, the four of them were banging on the huge tower doors.  
  
"Hello!" screamed Amelia, "We're looking for food! We're starving!"  
  
"Help," said Thoth, "Its an emergency!"  
  
The four of them were dwarfed by the huge double doors. Their knocking did not go unheeded, as they could hear heavy bolts unlatch from the inside. A turn of the knob, and the one of the huge doors creaked open.  
  
"Can I help you, strangers?" A young girl, only a couple of years older than Amelia, poked her head out of the door. Her delicate, tanned features were simple, yet pleasant. Orangish hair flapped around a bit in the wind, the shoulder-length locks that were as curly as possible.   
  
Zel was first, slightly bowing to their host. "Yes! We are in urgent need-"  
  
"FOOD!!" Gourry and Thoth pushed the chimera onto the ground, even before Zelgadis could finish his little presentation.   
  
"Ummm, sorry about that," asked Amelia, sneaking around the hungry boys. "Can I ask where is the closest inn?"   
  
The young girl was taken aback by the strangers, but it didn't deter her. She opened the door wider now, revealing the rest of herself. She was wearing a short light green top that covered half of her stomach and smallish chest, also baring much of her shoulders and neck. Her waist was bare save for a loop of silver and black, which hung a simple cloth bag. She also wore simple beige shorts, her entire wardrobe was all loose-fitting clothes for desert living.  
  
"Well, you see," she replied. "The closest place is two full days east of here. This isn't a village per say. There really isn't any place to eat around here."  
  
"What!!" Amelia could hear Thoth and Gourry faint behind her. Zel panted for water, but was too tired to even make a noise.  
  
"Oh, dear me! You all must be terribly starved!" The orange-hair girl pushed the door open wide. "Come in! I have a little bit of water and food. OK?"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"I can't thank you, enough." Amelia chomped into another drumstick of cold chicken after downing her third pitcher of water. "This food is terrific, by the way."  
  
"Yea, good!" said Thoth, shoving a piece of grilled sausage down his mouth so he could barely talk.  
  
The young host sweatdropped. "Umm…there's an entire village here, so please don't eat it all…now…"  
  
Zel groaned. The old man was a regular chip off the Lina block, eating at the same incredible pace as he did in Monte Darlo.  
  
"These are good!" Amelia was stabbing at the center plate of sausages, picking over the last couple of servings. Gourry saw the little brunette's incoming utensil, as he managed to swap the last piece right off her upturned fork.  
  
"Hey! How did you do that!" she shouted.  
  
"Yum...." Gourry chewed away, keeping the princess at bay with one fork in his hand, eating the stolen sausage with a dinner knife via skewer method.  
  
"Wow! You guys were really starved!" said the orange haired girl.   
  
"Actually," interrupted Zel, looking up from his slice of quiche, "they eat like this all the time. The only reason that Gourry is good at eating like that," said the chimera, looking away while talking, "is that he's used to eating with Lina more than any of us."  
  
Gourry was too busy stuffing himself to object to Zel's statement. "Yum…"  
  
Amelia finally finished her eating, leaning back into her chair and rubbing her tummy. "Ahhh, that was so good..." She blinked for a second, the words no longer coming out.  
  
"So…" The chimera was naturally already finished, his knife and fork set neatly crossed over his plate. "Your name, our humble host?"   
  
"Emily." said the orange hair girl, "but everyone here calls me Em. It makes it easier when giving out orders." The little girl stood up and strolled over to her kitchen window.  
  
"Orders?" This got the groups attention.  
  
"Hai, you could say that. I'm the caretaker and leader of this small outpost. I carry on my father's work while continuing the trade routes along the bottomless canyon."   
  
"You mean…this whole place?" said the chimera, circling his hands around the room. "The tower, the village?"  
  
"Well," answered Em, her face slightly puckering, "Its not exactly a village. We live here...because we need to. You know, to get the Sheik's city."  
  
"Ehh?" The group looked up from the kitchen table, dumbfounded.   
  
Em chuckled. "Come on, let's take a look. I've got to get a progress report from my first one, anyway."  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
They raced outside right after the orange haired girl, right behind the white tower. Hidden behind the countless local buildings, was a structure they had never seen before. The group stopped, their minds boggled, their eyes looking into the sky.  
  
"What is it, Zel?" asked Amelia, tugging on his cape, her eyes glassed over.  
  
"I'm not sure..." Zel stared in wonder, the whole group stopping in their tracks.   
  
"Its big," said Gourry.  
  
"That it is. Looks like a giant sausage, and a really tasty one." The chimera snorted a bit at Thoth's comments.   
  
Em laughed. "You guys are so silly. Let me show you..." She lead the travelers down a few more feet to an open ship, of about 300 feet in length or so, stripped of its masts and sails. It was tied down to the ground with a few lines, but other than that, it floated off the ground by a couple of feet. "Basically, it's a boat all right. I bought in the ship from a long ways off. "   
  
Em pointed to the balloon-like casing over the floating craft. "First, we cut off the sailing mastheads, since we won't be needing them. Then I had a giant heated bag of air attached to the top. Its green all right, and it sticks out like a sore thumb. Attached by the many lines, securely I might add. We have a simple fire in the stern of the boat with torches to keep the craft up. After that, everything is simply as you see. All so we can fly!"  
  
Zel stared. "Not possible…"  
  
"What is it again?" asked Gourry.  
  
Em sweat dropped. "It's a floating ship! Can't you see that?"  
  
"Not really," exclaimed the swordsman. "I thought Thoth was right, you built a restaurant to sell sausages."  
  
The orange-haired girl screamed. "Enough with the sausage jokes! Didn't you all get enough, after eating me out of house and home?"  
  
"No," responded the whole group.  
  
"GEEEZ!" Em almost fainted.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Xellos was positively bored. Never tired, nor hungry. Hanging around temple to the Water Dragon was bad enough, but watching his chimera buddy and friends trounce through the desert was really killing his good time.   
  
Letting his body down on the green balloon was enjoyable, he thought. It was like jumping on something flexible...oh yeah, there was the time he had jumped onto a dragon's tummy, some fella that was sleeping. Oh, the old dragon was rather surprised by the fact that some human was annoying him, but then Xellos equally enjoyed the experience of being identified as a 'certain' Mazoku. The old guy went from friendly to livid. Jumping on the belly and scaring the witless creature out of his mind had been very enjoyable, indeed. Ahhh, this caused all resting dragons to never sleep by themselves again…except for Filia, he bemused…  
  
But this wasn't a dragon's tummy -- this was a balloon and a perfect view, for looking over Zel and company, when he was suddenly disturbed by the company of his own kind.  
  
"Hello, Joe," poked Xellos, not even bothering to turn his head around.  
  
"You should have diverted them, Xellos. You know it was time."  
  
"Nonsense. I do what I please. After all, enticing the poor fools seems like fun."  
  
"No. Zelas thinks you are becoming too involved with them. That she would order you directly to go against the grain. After all, we need Lina and company as well."  
  
"Yes, I should say so. Lina does provide the perfect balance of destruction. With a dropped hint here and there, we can turn her into the Mazoku weapon of our desires."  
  
"All of that is true. That we need her after all is a miracle. She has already taken up this foolish quest because of your meddling."  
  
Xellos coughed. "With Lina getting rid of all those nasty bandit killers, it has provided me with a lot of recent anguish." He stretched his arms out in a tired fashion. "But killing off her friends is not a good idea, since Lina tends to follow up on her revenges."  
  
"You and I know that is small potatoes," said Joe. "Zelas is aware of the issue now, as you are as well."  
  
"Oh? And you were there during the time of the Cloudminders?"  
  
"I was there as well, if you remember. Nevertheless, you are not a part of this scene. Leave at once."  
  
Xellos tapped his staff against Joe's cloaked head. "You have quite a disposition, dear Joe. I would hate for something to happen to you. It would be quite a shame if you ever pledged to someone else."  
  
"I know that a Mazoku cannot turn against one so easily, even if you pledged to Zelas."  
  
"Know your place, baka." The purple priest grinned at Zelas' other minion. "You are weaker than me, friend. I'm sure the digression would be forgiven if something accidentally happened to you. After all, your partner must be thrilled."  
  
Joe's face feature froze under Xellos' gaze. "Yes, you're right about the partner business. Revenge is what Turnip wants, and so is his desires to see Lina Inverse die."  
  
"Ahhh," exclaimed Xellos, "but it wasn't Turnip I was talking about. I'm talking about the one that we need Lina for."  
  
The minor Mazoku stepped back. "Your mind thinks in pure speculation, Xellos. I need report my findings to Zelas, if you can excuse me." And he glowed a ruby-red and disappeared.  
  
"Tattle-tale. Never really could trust him. But then, I don't trust anyone," said Xellos, following his associate into the Astral plane.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"So, aren't you guys off somewhere?"  
  
"Well...not really," answered a dumbfounded Gourry. "Except for the-"   
  
Zel elbowed the swordsman in the ribs, "You know…"  
  
"I thought that we had something to do, but..."  
  
Em coughed, not realizing how difficult it would be to lose her new 'friends.' Maybe being direct was better. "Anyway... I'm sure you guys will be on your way, after all ---- we're taking off in an hour to get to the Sheik's city."  
  
"REALLY??" The whole group watered their eyes at the drop of the Em's last words.  
  
She nearly fainted at their sight. "No! No! No! You're not coming with me! First of all, I don't have enough food. And that's besides the point, there's nothing in the whole world that would make me take you all."  
  
Time stopped.  
  
"Oh, please, please, please!" The entire group swallowed its pride, bowing and begging to the poor orange-haired girl.  
  
"I said NO! Go around the bottomless cavern…it should take you a week or so."  
  
The group groaned in the collective form of disgust as they softened their grip on Em.   
  
A strong gust of wind blew up from over the chasm over the flats plains of the desert. A few lines to the tied up airship snapped immediately, causing the bow to drift up a few feet higher into the turbulent air.   
  
"You get me all distracted and look what happens!" Emily managed to get out of Amelia's begging grasp, with no help from anyone else. "Batten the ship down!" she shouted to her hysterical workers.   
  
"Yes, ma'am!" A few of them grabbed onto the broken anchor line, holding it firm. However, the wind currents lifted them up, throwing them in the air and off of tied lines.  
  
Em turned around to the travelers. "We can't let the ship get away! Help me!" The group nodded and ran to help.  
  
The floating balloon ship broke a couple of more cables, fluttering up higher into the sky. Amelia and Gourry had the front docking ropes in their hands, but the craft was still too light, dragging their bodies into the air.   
  
"Help!" shouted the princess.  
  
"Hey," exclaimed Gourry, without a trace of fright, "we're still going up!"  
  
The back of the floating ship was no less in worse shape. The twisting front had taken on weight, but this only caused the back lines to break under the stress.  
  
"Quickly! We need more help!" shouted Em, already on the deck of the airship. Thoth was in back of her, rolling around like a clumsy fool. "Where are those emergency lines, crew! I need them now!"  
  
Em's crew on the far side the camp were scurrying around like lost mice. They went into the storage cabin, expecting their supplies to be full and intact. They were very surprised to find the shed thread-bare of any lines.   
  
"The supplies have been stolen, Em! There are some extra lines in the lighthouse, but it's going to take time! Hold on!"   
  
The chimera stood there -- rubbing his chin, dumbfounded at the floating airship. "This looks awfully familiar..."   
  
A rope from out of the sky circled around Zel a second later. "Sorry! Its anchor time again! Keep us down!" yelled Amelia.  
  
The chimera didn't hesitate for one second, grapping onto the circular mooring line, with an attempt to throw it off of his head. But there wasn't much of a chance, as the line tightened and tossed Zel like an angry snake into the dusty ground.  
  
"Get this off of me!!"  
  
"Don't you think we're trying to get the whole thing down!" screamed Em. "We're going to up and down a bit! Everyone hold on!"  
  
Zel snarled. He was swinging a few feet off the ground like a trapeze artist. "If you don't get me off this thing, I'm firing a fireball at that green balloon of yours!"  
  
The orange-hair girl leaned over the edge of the railing, her expression bemused. "Its Zel, isn't it?"  
  
"Ummm yes…but then you knew that."  
  
"Let's suppose you do get angry enough, and shoot a fireball up here and destroy the balloon over this ship. That would probably make us fall, right?"  
  
The chimera shrugged his shoulders. "Guess so. I assume that's what would happen." Zel looked down again, he was now a good ten feet off of the ground, getting blown around a bit on the rope like a loose weight. "Can't you see I don't like it down here!"  
  
"Sure! And you would get down. And you're right, this airship would fall. Right on top of you."  
  
Zel gulped, lowering his arms from attack mode. "I guess you're right."  
  
*WACK*  
  
"Hey, watch the roof to the storage shed there!" shouted Em. "I can't have you knocking the new roof down now, can I?"  
  
Zel snarled even louder. "I am not an anchor!"  
  
"Oh, and you're doing a great job at it! Be careful down there, there's only one of you!"  
  
The chimera blushed, not paying attention at all.   
  
"Look out!" shouted Amelia, appearing over the railing next to Em.  
  
*SMACK*  
  
"Got it!" shouted Em, turning around on the deck to bark out orders. "Secure us to the lighthouse via our 'anchor' line. Tie us down, crew."  
  
"Yes, ma'am!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Zel groaned, turning over his painful body. He was spread flat on the deck as he waked from his unconsciousness.   
  
"Nice job, stony..." Em was sitting down next to the fallen hero. "Thoth said that your nickname, I have to say he's rather right."  
  
"I'm glad he's right, if not in the specifies." The chimera rubbed his throbbing head, trying to get his bearings. "By the way, that's the last time I volunteer as a cannonball." Zel tried to get up from the ground but a few of Em's rougher crewmates came and held him fast, removing the last of the anchor line.  
  
"You had better hold it right there until their done. I hate to use you as an anchor again."  
  
Zel blushed as he let Em's crew untangle him from the lines. "That's quite nice of you."  
  
"You did a great job there, Zel. I don't think I could have asked for a better counter weight." Em smiled as she pulled the chimera up to his feet. "Amelia was so right about your special skills. I'll have to thank her later for it."  
  
"Remind me to be there and thank her as well." The chimera was still tapping his head, the sound of bells ringing was still there.   
  
Zel thought they were still on land, but the shifting deck beneath his legs told of a different story. "We're not grounded?" He looked up into the sky and saw a small cloud float by. It was close, very close.  
  
"No, far from it. After our little grounding into the lighthouse, we loaded the rest of the supplies onto the air ship. Since we were too high to set down securely without losing our precious hot air, we relaunched in record time."  
  
"Oh…"   
  
"A day early, but that's ok," said Em. "We should be landing in the fields just south of the Sheik's city, it's only a day away by air journey."  
  
"Really?" Zel walked to the railing, where Gourry and Thoth were staring out. Zel took a peek as well, surprised that the mountain peaks below were so small.   
  
"This is high! I've never spell flown so high in my life!" said Gourry.  
  
The chimera frowned. "Gourry, you've never spellcast in your life. It's Lina making you fly everywhere."  
  
"Oh, I knew that. By the way, where's Amelia?"  
  
Zel pointed to the opposite side of the ship, to Amelia's back. Her butt was pointed up into the air, the rest of her body leaning over the railing. "Remember how much she loved the open seas? Well, you can be airsick as well."  
  
Thoth snapped his fingers. "Wow, I think I'd better cheer her up..." The princess of Saillune was quite green. "Errr, maybe later…"  
  
"That made me positively not hungry," said the chimera.  
  
Em clapped her hands together, all excited. "So, is everyone ready for a tour of the ship? I can't wait to show you the main cabin, the ship systems..."  
  
Amelia wandered wearily back to the group, her face still green. "I think I'm better everyone..."  
  
"The galley?" said Gourry, rubbing his stomach. "I could eat a whole platter of sashimi, or maybe some more sausages!"  
  
"Yea, maybe some roast beef with gravy! And mashed potatoes!" Thoth's eyes lit up like searchlights. "And you're right! Some of those yummy sausages!"  
  
"Excuse me!" The princess of Saloon nearly pushed Em over to get to the railing. "Need to go!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
The lower decks of the ship were just as impressive as the large upper decks of the ship. "The front compartments are for storage, then come the staterooms. I know it's a bit tight, but they are very comfortable bunk beds."  
  
"Yea, I saw those," said Gourry, "It reminded me of summer sleep away camp."  
  
"And here is the kitchen, as you can see." pointed Em, to an open door. A couple of Em's men were busy cutting and slicing up some vegetables. "Did you know I had to scrounge around to get extra food for this trip?   
  
"That looks so good," watered Thoth, "So when is dinnertime anyway?"  
  
"Patience, my guests." Em put on a worried grin before turning her head around. "It will be above deck, just after sunset. Zel here has promised to light the way for dinner.  
  
"Ano," asked Thoth. "What's in this room?" He pointed to a door to the rear cabin of the craft. It was inlayed with the faded burned symbol, a lightening bolt on its lower half.   
  
"That is…was…" Em sagged her eyes a bit, looking at the ground. "My father's room. Oh, and DON'T GO IN THERE!"  
  
The old man cowered a bit to Em's raised voice. "Ummm…yea! I'll stay away."  
  
"Good." Em smiled, leading the group on the rest of the tour. "Come everyone, there's more to see."  
  
Zel couldn't stop looking that the door that Thoth had picked out. He ran his fingers over the grain of wood, trying to feel it for something. "Something is here. I can feel it under my skin."  
  
Gourry came over the chimera, "Hey Zel…are you coming with the rest of the tour group?"  
  
Zel waved the swordsman away. "Errr, yea. I'll be right there."  
  
Behind Gourry, a truffle of orange hair came into view. "You know, I say one thing and no one listens to me. No wonder I get stuck being captain of this ship, even if I'm a kawaii girl."  
  
"Em!" The chimera turned around in surprise. "I…was just…"  
  
"No buts, mister. If you don't get your ass away from that door…" A hint of fire burned in Em's eyes, the color matched her hair almost perfectly.  
  
Zel lowered his head and walked away, dejected and ashamed to himself.   
  
"The things I have to do…" said Emily, sighing while leading the group away. She whispered the rest under her breath. "For some things are best left undiscovered."  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Your turn, Gourry," pointed Thoth, to the board game. The two guys were sitting down in their cabin, playing an evening round of board games.   
  
"Ummm, I guess so." The swordsman stared strangely at the board for a second, before lifting one of the pieces, examining it close up. Shrugging slightly, he sat the playing piece down onto the board, in the exact same spot.  
  
"What did you do that for?" exclaimed the old man. "You didn't move your piece anywhere!"  
  
"Who said anything about moving?" said Gourry. "I thought there was a fly on my piece."  
  
Thoth shook his head.  
  
"What are you guys playing?" Amelia snuck up over the pillows from the bunk across, her face was still slightly green and disheveled from travel sickness. "Chess? Go? Something interesting?"  
  
"Checkers," answered Thoth. The old man was staring down his opponent, but Gourry was not even looking up. The blond swordsman was intensely gawking the board for…something. "And to make matters worse, I think he's winning."  
  
"Oh…OK…" The petite princess lost sudden interest and faded back into her curled and queasy-free position into the pillows. "It all sounds…really interesting…uuugh…"   
  
Gourry shook her head. "Is she ok?"  
  
Thoth nodded. "Yea, the dinner for her didn't go down as planned. Poor thing."  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Zelgadis?" It was Em, with a cup of steaming tea in her hand. She was walking along the elevated railing along the bow of the ship.   
  
"Hmmm?" The chimera was looking out forward.  
  
"I was a little harsh to you before dinner. I guess because recently life's been rough on all of us…" Em kicked the railing with her knee for a moment, trying to get the chimera's attention. "After all, without your help, we might have floated the 'Springborn' into the ocean."  
  
Zel turned around with a slightly puzzling look on his face. "What did you call…this airship?"  
  
"The 'Springborn,' the name my father gave this airship after he completed the flying systems. It's a shame that he never saw the ship fly, however. I didn't rename the ship for the re-launch…and I don't know why…"  
  
"Oh…" He returned back to his sulking and looking out.  
  
"Something troubling you, Zel?" asked Em, circling around the chimera from behind.   
  
"No, not at all. Did I say there was?" Zel turned away from Em. "Oh, and dinner was very nice, your men did a wonderful job."  
  
The orange-haired girl came up to the right of Zel, leaning onto the nearby railing. "I didn't ask you about dinner, I asked you what was troubling you."  
  
The chimera twisted about. "Please leave me be. I have no wish to be disturbed." Zel was almost leaning next to the bow spike, looking out into the clouds and the more than waxing moon. Its rays, and presence in the air was definitely scaring away stars. But they were rather high, riding more than twice over many of the snow-capped mountain tops.   
  
It made for a stunning sight.   
  
Em kept walking up to the bow of the ship, stopping every few feet along the way. "I know I just had to check the front of the boat, in case we run into any weird objects or such. It can be a real pain in the neck if we ran into something out here, like some bird or lost dragon."  
  
Zel moaned. "You could do this in the morning, couldn't you?"  
  
"Not really, I check then as well. Now move, I've got to check to bow spike." The chimera moaned while Em jumped right on top of the forward boon, balancing carefully as she stepped out a few feet. If she fell, it would be a long way down.   
  
"Be careful. I'd hate to jump down and Raywing after your fallen ass."  
  
Em turned around. "Oh, so you would rescue a damsel in distress? I'm so glad, because I'd hate to have that little girlfriend of yours rescue me."  
  
Zelgadis blushed. "Amelia is NOT my girlfriend. I have no desire to be with her."  
  
She backflipped out a bit farther on the boon, flipping in the air on a perfect half spin, landing safely with both feet. "You say that, but not too convincing for to own eyes. After all, I've seen how she looks at you."   
  
The chimera snorted. "You have no idea of the frustration that I go through with that girl."  
  
"Maybe I do. Maybe I don't." Em walked closer on the boon until she stepped down on the ship deck. "After all, I have seen in my lifetime love that I have won, and then, love that I've lost. It happens."  
  
Zel turned his head. "How can say such things so easily? There's just no way..."  
  
"That someone can be in touch with themselves so well? Maybe not. But my father has said, it's not what you look like, nor what's inside of you, but what you do with it." She stepped closer to Zel, her breath hot against his stony chin. "Think about it."  
  
Zel tried to step away and retire to his cabin. But Em wouldn't have any of that as she grabbed his trailing arm by the wrist. "What is there to think about?" said Zel. "There's no way that you, a charming scientist as you call yourself, would ever want to be with me. A creature of heartless stone."  
  
"I see the good in you, Zelgadis. So does Amelia. And that swordsman, I sees the good in him as well. I'm not surprised you don't see it, under the upheaval of stone you have there. Because its there, underneath that hard exterior layer of yours, and I'm not talking about that stone cover you have."  
  
The chimera spun around, abet surprised.  
  
"I see the flesh. I see it moving, breathing. I see you have always had a heart…a living, breathing soul."  
  
Zelgadis turn away from Em, pulling her hands off of his shoulder -- he could not dare to look into her eyes. Truth be told, it was incredible for Zel to tell anyone about his feeling.   
  
But this girl was different. She identified his weaknesses so easily, so squarely. He would usually shout back and ignore the person...but no, that wasn't the case this time.   
  
Em had unlocked something in the back of him mind. Maybe it was the direct confrontation. He looked to walk away, but the only exit was the passageway behind Em to the lower decks. A confrontation was not his style.   
  
"I never wanted this!" He pressed into his skin with his thumb. "This horrible look, where I scare woman and children alike. I never wanted to look like this!"  
  
Em looked down at her feet, her eyes starting to tear. "I don't see that, Zelgadis."   
  
Zel looked into those beautiful eyes of Em. A bit of wind picked up, blowing that orange triangle of curly hair across her face.   
  
It was a view of sadness of someone asking what was wrong. Many of companions have looked at him like that. Zolt, before he had joined up with Lina. Amelia. Sylphiel. They all knew the terrible sadness that Zel carried on his shoulders. So heavy was the sadness, that it threatened to fall on him, to bury him.   
  
Rezo. He could only think of Rezo. The jingle of his staff. How Rezo had asked him if he wished to be stronger. What price had he paid in the long run? What was that price?  
  
"Please, Zel. Try to understand. Maybe I can help you."  
  
"No. This is my journey. I walk alone." And, thought the chimera, not even Lina will not be a part of it.  
  
Em shuffled her body over to avoid the bee-lining chimera from the descending stairs. "You can walk away from it now, Zelgadis. But one day, you'll have to face it, with your friends."   
  
And as Zel descended the stairs, Em shed a tear. "Baka…you should have listened to me…"   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
It was hazy, hot, and humid. Zel didn't like the weather one bit. At least it was nice and lush around, for he seemed to have plenty of water. Yea, a nice amount of water.   
  
Beyond the water was a stone path, circling about. It was very wide and well worn from visitors. Around the paths were patches of grass and trees. In all and all, it looked like a very pleasant place to be.   
  
He moved. No, he TRIED to move his arm down. Something was scratching it at the moment, from behind his ear. He tried to flick his head about. No luck, he was stuck fast in a holding spell.  
  
"Get me out!"  
  
"Really. I always thought that you would make a good one?" Xellos popped in from the Astral plane, leaning back in a very relaxed state. He held partly hidden under his arm a paper bag; his other hand was behind his head, unwinding at the moment.  
  
"Xellos!! Somehow, I should have known!"  
  
"These finger cookies they make here are rather tasty. They have a ban on ice cream this time of year, sometimes even this kingdom goes too far on evil. Queen Amelia is such a baka! After all, ice cream is only evil to your hips." Xellos looked down onto his waist. "But this isn't my body! I really should be having ice cream!"  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
"Oh, here? I guess it's show and tell! Saloon, of course. The royal gardens, to be exact. Queen Amelia's magnificent palace is right behind you, its such a shame that you can't turn around and see it."  
  
The chimera tried to look around with his eyes behind him. But, no palace was in sight. He could not even turn one smidgen. But he could look down, and was surprised to see his legs were no longer misty blue but an ugly brown. He could just catch out of the corner of his eye his right elbow, the very tip of it in sight. He not all that surprised to see it blackish-brown as well.  
  
Xellos was still chewing away on a finger cookie. "I would offer you one, but I don't think you can grab onto it at the moment. I guess I can't let these treats go to waste."  
  
"You're a fool for trapping me here Xellos. When I get my hands on you!"  
  
"It's not when, my chimera friend. Its 'if.' If you didn't notice that Amelia has set up you as one of her statues."  
  
Zelgadis was absolutely livid. "She wouldn't dare!!"  
  
*peck* *peck* *peck*   
  
"Shoo! Shoo!" Zel's calls managed to chase away the annoying pigeon; he could hear the bird flutter away. He looked at his legs and cursed. "Look what that pigeon left on me! Who's going to clean up that mess!"  
  
Xellos moved closer, smiling. "Don't look at me, I'm not your nursemaid." The Mazoku gloated a bit at the chimera. "However, I don't think that we've finished our little lesson, Zel. So how about a little personality adjustment? Sound good?"   
  
"Go fly a kite…"  
  
"First..." answered Xellos, reappearing above the chimera's head, "some syrup, to sweeten that temper of yours." The mixture oozed over Zel's head, he could feel the mixture run down his rocky neck and back. "Oh, all out of cookies! But I have a paper bag of cookie crumbs! How wonderful! Might as well pour these on!" The mysterious priest, to his own chagrin, showered the sticky statue with the dry mix. "That's better!"   
  
The chimera could hear the fluttering of a couple of pigeons behind his back. The statements that the evil one had made finally connected into a picture. He remembered the statues in Atlas city, after years of pigeon abuse. And it could only make his eyes grow weary.   
  
"Ta-Ta, my friend!" He finished off his little speech with a little curtsy before disappearing. "Remember, I wasn't the one who refused the 'no feeding the pigeons sign."  
  
"Xellos!" The chimera heard the hungry flock gathering larger behind him, passing news of the impeding feast. He could also swear the pigeons were calling for his head. "Oh…my…"   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Zelgadis woke up in a sudden sweat, pulling his sheet covers off it his body. He could hear the soft snoring from Gourry in the bed above his. Thoth was comfortably in the bunk bed right across from the chimera, with one of Em's men in the opposite top bunk.  
  
Oh well, thought Zel, maybe its time to take a look.  
  
He left his sword on the wall, dragging the weapon around would only be a hazard to dropping and/or nicking something, waking the whole place up. Quietly, he tiptoed past the other bunkrooms to the stern of the floating ship.   
  
He was at the door when he lit a light spell in the palm of his hand. Zel began to feel to remove the door's wood, looking for the indentation that had been smoothed over possibly by time. Using his hand, he traced the hidden inlayed pattern smoothed over by time -- in the shape of a cloud.  
  
"I was right," he muttered, "An artifact from the Cloudminders."   
  
And he knocked down the door.  
  
He saw the chaos box first, glowing and shining brightly on a platform. This box was much smaller than Turnip's model, for it was barely a couple of inches tall and not even an inch wide. Yet it was as bright and as colorful as the other box, with swirls of chaos circling above it.   
  
"She knew…and that's how the air ship floats," he surmised.  
  
The platform that the chaos box was on whirled with its own energy. Zel could see the movement of gears and such from the back of the platform, it was attached to larger gears and then huge rotating windmills. The entire rear wall was open like a balcony to the sky, as he could see where the airship had taken them on their journey.   
  
His neck tingled with suspense as he walked ever so closer to the chaos box. The box called for him, to reveal his burden of stone, and trade its offerings of magic for flesh. The call to the human. It was here -- waiting, always wanting, awaiting its task.  
  
Zel slid his left arm closer, as he could feel the chaos sliding off of his body, peeling away like fine layers of rice paper. He looked at his skin, as it simmered and crawled, slowly dissolving the blue-tinge away.  
  
Then it stopped. His arm was flesh and blood, undoubtedly human. His elbow and up was still chimera. So was his other arm. And the rest of his body.  
  
"Make me flesh!" he cried. "Take it away!" He broke down onto the ground, pounding the floor with his other chimera-laced fist. "Take all of it, you bastard!"  
  
The chaos continued to peel off of his body. Now that his arm was flesh, the smaller box was pulling his chimera state from his upper arm and shoulder. It sucked his energy away, feeding on it like a ravishing wolf. But he could see his blue body fighting back, trying to suck at the human part as if it were infected with human.  
  
A grin of horror grew on his face, for he was not to be of human, this time…  
  
"Zel!" Emily stood at the open door, a torch in her hand. "I knew that trusting you was a mistake! You're after the power of the chaos box, aren't you?"  
  
The chimera turned around his body, holding his fleshed arm out from the rest of his chimera body. He tried to hide the truth from Em, but the differences shone out like a sore thumb. In shock, she almost dropped her torch onto the wooden floor.   
  
"You knew!" she said, "I had my suspicions that you knew about chaos energy, but no idea what your true goals were..."  
  
Zelgadis stared blankly at his host. "No, I couldn't tell you in case…you refused."  
  
Em pointed at the line of her sight. "Your arm! Its been affected by the pull of chaos!" She ran right up the chimera, kneeling onto the ground while holding his limb gently. "But you shouldn't be here! You can't be here! You don't know the terrible properties of the chaos stone!"  
  
"Why!" He pointed to the ebbing chaos box in distaste, trying to reach for its prized properties. "It's supposed to affect my entire body! To make me human!"   
  
The chaos box glowed a dark red of magic. The excess chaos was starting to seep out of the sides, as if overflowing like a small milk can. It wanted more and more energy…but with more magic from Zelgadis, it grew more and more unstable.  
  
Em pushed Zelgadis' arm away. "You can't touch it! Your body is laced with such strong magic!"  
  
"So…that's what I want! I want the chaos stone to take my curse away!"  
  
"That box doesn't just take local chaos and channel it away. It feeds the air ship to move in the air. At the same time, it's in a box of my design. It takes minute traces of excess magic away, that's why it can't take your curse away!"  
  
The chaos box whirled with energy…it was not to be denied…  
  
"It made me human before!" stampeded Zel, "Why can't it do that again! Why!"   
  
"The box, it's too small for your body! It's not made to absorb this much energy even if it will!"  
  
The chaos box shook with light, swirling currents of wind and magic moved around it like a miniature maelstrom. It hungered for energy, for life, to feed its chaos addiction. It didn't know that too much fulfillment of its hunger would be its ultimate demise.   
  
He got back up from his knees and reached up out for the box, when a shooting pain raced into his fleshed-out arm. "AARRRGGGHHH!!" Bringing his arm over for support, Zel gripped down on his left arm, trying to brace himself from sudden stabbing pains.  
  
"Zelgadis!" Emily tugged at the chimera's body, pulling him away from the chaos box. "We have got to move you away!"   
  
"No…" Zel tried to resist moving away from the chaos, but his struggles helped Em win the battle. "I won't lose again!"  
  
"You must! Or you may die!"   
  
The chimera was now half-conscience of the dragging away, reaching carefully toward the chaos light. "Must…not…leave it…" Nevertheless, Emily, with Zel in tow, was able to maneuver out of the room.  
  
The angry box was very upset with its loss of magic. It blinked angrily at its loss, nevertheless it was powerless to pursue its pray.   
  
"I will…not be denied! No…"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"You're safe now…" said Em, supporting the weary chimera. She looked down at her patient as they were huddled outside in the hallway. "You've been exposed to a chaos box before, haven't you?"  
  
Zel pushed himself against the wall into a sitting position. "You could say that..."   
  
The chimera's voice trailed off as he felt his arm feel heavy, as if tied down with a leaded weight. He looked down at his left arm, expecting to see either flesh or chimera skin. Peeling away his cloak, he saw his skin dullness was grayer than his usual bluish tinge. He felt it -- and it was as cold as possible to the touch.   
  
"No...this isn't happening..." The chimera could only nod his head downward. "No..."  
  
Em held his hands together, wordless as tears fell from her eyes. "You baka…"   
  
Alarms rang from the spotters above deck. It was a loud, nasty ring that would raise everyone from their sleep.   
  
"A sighting? In the sky?" said Em.   
  
"…Leave me, here…" The chimera was still staring down at his arm, even if his eyes were closed. "I'm of no help to you in this condition."  
  
"But…" answered the captain.   
  
"I said GO!!" He turned his head away. "…I will be there…in a minute."   
  
"Hai." Em didn't take another second, bolting up the stairway to the open deck.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
It was an almost clear morning. The sky was tinting from orange to red at the upcoming sunrise. A few wispy clouds were around. One even was being split by the airship's balloon.  
  
Besides her crew, Amelia was already up in the crow's nest, looking out into the sky. Her short hair was whipping over her face in such fierce winds. Also on deck was Gourry, already looking intently at the approaching enemies.  
  
"They're coming from the far southwest." The officer came over to Em as she walked onto the deck. "Almost exactly where we're going. Contact in about 10 minutes."  
  
"Good," said Em. "Batten all the outside windows below deck. Arm the fire crossbows and have them ready to fire. This vessel was built to take water attacks, I'm sure it can defend against air attacks as well."  
  
"Hai." The subordinate nodded and dismissed himself to below deck.  
  
Emily sighed. "I need this like a hole in the head…stupid, stupid, me!"  
  
"Where's Zel?" asked the swordsman, interrupting the scientist.  
  
"Er…he's taking care of something below desks, he should be up here in a minute or so." Em motioned up her hands at the crow's nest. "By the way, what's her problem?"  
  
"Oh, her…" said Gourry, "she likes high places."  
  
"Uh-huh." Em displayed a rather half-hearted frown. "And Thoth?"  
  
"Well…errrr….something about morning sickness."  
  
The scientist's face deepened into a full-blown worry. "Well, whatever help you can offer would be most appreciated. Are you guys combat veterans? I never did ask any of you about that…" Em paced in front of Gourry. "I never figured that a couple of pirates would rent a few dragons and attack us up here. They must have heard of us from the Sheik's city. I'm such a baka for being up here with defenses to protect my passengers and staff."  
  
Gourry scratched his head. "Ummm…actually…when I've been with Lina, we've always been the target of bandits. I guess you could call it our fault."  
  
She quickly turned her head to the blond swordsman. "You mean…Lina Inverse?! Here I am…la-de-la-do-da…and I bring of few of her buddies along and it's open season on Em and her company. Couldn't you have told me this earlier?"  
  
"But…you didn't ask," answered Gourry.  
  
Em facefaulted. "You have GOT to be kidding!"  
  
The deck shook as a shot of energy lashed against the side of the airship. Em made a grab for the broken masthead, holding on for dear life while the deck shook. The princess of Saloon 'eeeep'ed' as she fell down from her high post.  
  
"…ow…" Amelia managed to land no worse for wear on top of Gourry. But the swordsman was lights out.   
  
Em looked up, a bit battered and bruised from the ride. "What in Cepheid was that!"  
  
"That was the attack of the bone dragons," said mad Thoth, in between bites of a turkey leg. The old man had come up on deck, thoroughly enjoying his morning 'snack.' "Legends say they were unhappy dragon souls, killed by someone's meteor spell. They never forgave their own kind for not rescuing them, and have since turned to the Mazoku in order to live."   
  
"Mazoku dragons!" shouted Amelia, "not again!"  
  
"Not again! How did you know that!" exclaimed Em, pushing her way forward. "Actually, I don't want to know that. Thoth, you could have waited a bit longer before eating our lunch."   
  
Thoth took another bite from a second turkey leg. A small stack of plated food was cradled in his other arm. "Gomen, I was just hungry." He held out one of the many pieces of meat from his plate of food. "Turkey leg?"  
  
"No…NO, thank you," eyed the scientist. "Those blasted idiots are probably looking for a way to get below deck, I'm sure about it now. If we stay here like a sitting duck…" She looked up at the balloon above her ship. "They'll shoot us down and pick up the leftover pieces of our broken bones."  
  
"Yup…even I'm sure about that," answered Thoth.  
  
She ran the very stern of the ship, an elevated platform with the controls for the stip. It was dominated by the large turning wheel, next to it were a set of control levers. "Prepare for emergency full speed, everyone!" she shouted, barking the order to her workers.  
  
Her staff got the message, quickening their pace of work to more than double their original speed.   
"Amelia!" shouted the captain.  
  
"Yea…I'm here!"  
  
"You're not going to be able to fly for a few minutes. In fact, none of you are going to able to perform spell magic…"  
  
"Whaa?? Are you kidding?" The brunette princess was down to the deck a few seconds afterwards. "Why not?"  
  
Em reached out next to her ship's wheel to a series of levers. She tugged a few of them forward, unleashing the sucking sound of energy from below her feet. "Hold on, everyone!"  
  
"Uugh!" Amelia jumped right on top of Gourry, more in fright than anything as the airship accelerated to more than twice its leisurely speed. The airship's deck sway, which had been a small nuisance before, was now a full-tilt joy ride as crew and passengers alike.   
  
"Help me!" Thoth quickly came around and glomped Amelia by her front. The brunette girl rolled her eyes from being hugged in such an un-princess like manner.  
  
"Eeeep! Get off of me!" She pushed off the old man, rolling him across the deck like a forgotten shoe.  
  
Em was barking orders left and right. "Prepare for hand-to-hand combat!" She turned aside, her voice determined and excited at the same time. "Oh, is this is going to be fun!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Biru looked out from his seat on his bone dragon. Flying to the right and left were members of his gang, each paired with a similar beast of burden. He licked his lips as the flying target approached him, they were heading towards each other from the opposite ends of the sky.  
  
Then, the airship got a *whole* lot bigger as it suddenly accelerated towards them. "Get ready troops! Here she comes and it's going to be quick!"  
  
The airship was pushing ahead in the sky like a shooting star. The balloon that had once supplied it its lift was now being dragged by the ship like a leaden anchor. He scratched his head in amazement, for Biru wondered how the ship stayed afloat, for it moved almost as swiftly as his own winged dragon beasts.  
  
The airship took a sudden lurch to the north, in a suicide dive that made Biru's stomach lurch. "Ho! After them! The tax dogs are running away!"  
  
"They are, master, to the north!"  
  
"I say dive! Dive! Follow those scoundrels to the ends of the world!" Biru's troops heard his words and emotions, and leaped with their master through another cloudbank. "Get them! Get them now!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Em gripped the steering wheel in fright, as the manned dragon creatures continued to approach. "We're not going to get away, I'm afraid. A few are going to hit us…"  
  
*Whoosh!*  
  
A few of the bone dragons were trying to land unsuccessfully onto the airship. They neatly clipped the side railings with their bodies, but held on with their claws. But as they almost settled onto the deck, their attachment to the airship gave way, as if tossed aside by the hand of the gods. It was as if the ship was repelling the bone dragons.   
  
Then, the deck shook. Of course, if you were there, the deck shaking would have been an understatement. It caused most of the crew to topple over from their running positions. Amelia and Em each hung onto a side of the wooden steering wheel, as it spun out of control.   
  
Amelia looked down the length of the ship. "What the hell is that!" It was one of the larger bone dragons, with its head peering over the railing of the deck. Most of the bone dragon's body was firmly attached to the underside of the deck, its bone breastplate pushed into the side of the deck, causing the deck plating to cave inward. Its angry mouth snarled upon landing, nevertheless it was surprised that it had survived its contact with the airship. It turned its angry beady blood-red eyes at Em's crewmates, threatening to destroy anyone on sight.   
  
"Hello, scoundrels!" Biru jumbled from his perched position on top of the bone dragon's head. "You cannot avoid the long arm of the tax man!"  
  
"Oh brother." Amelia sweat dropped, motioning to Thoth. "He did all this to track us down?"  
  
"Ummm, guess so," answered the old man. "Biru's is a rather thoughtless old bird, you know…after all, he once gave me an offer I couldn't refuse." Amelia glared at Thoth as soon as he shut his mouth. "Uhhh, maybe I'll end it right there."  
  
"Good idea."   
  
Em was still at the steering wheel. "You mean these guys are after you…for taxes??" She was dumbfounded as the other shoe dropped in her mind. "Somehow, I should have known."  
  
"HEY! PAY ATTENTION TO ME!" The loony taxman was screaming at the top of his lungs, pointing to the group. The bone dragon has finally managed to pull his body onto the airship's deck, leaving a swath of considerable damage. "Don't you think I'd track you down, Lina Inverse!"  
  
"Ummm, she's not with us," said Gourry, "You missed her at that bridge that kind of…fell apart!"  
  
"Fine!" Biru pulled out his meat cleaver from behind is back. "I will take the lot of you, then! Prepare to be captured!"  
  
"I'm afraid," interrupted Em, looking up from her controls. "That you're leaving and we're not." She looked down at the bone dragon's feet, as they had started to unravel into chaos energy and disappear.  
  
"What are you talking about? That is such nonsense!" But the bone dragon was already squirming, the rest of his body arched forward into the deck from the lack of front legs. Biru's facial expression flashed from one of confidence to shock, as his beast of riding tilted over into a mass of disintegrating bones. The bone dragon screamed at losing his feet, his legs, and finally his life -- until there was nothing left but Biru standing on deck.  
  
The mad tax man looked around for support where there was none. "Ummm, guys? Anyone else here?" From each side, a few of Em's larger sized crewman had bats and assorted blunt instruments in their hands, patiently palm tapping them for the upcoming beating.  
  
"Now…guys…I'm sure I can let off…your friends. You know, maybe in some kind of program? Have any of you heard of tax amnesty? Sure, you'll…have to pay it…or perhaps I can forget about this year's taxes…" And then, he gulped.  
  
"Now, Biru, we can't let you off that easily," sneered Thoth. The old man had a twinkle in his eye, as he stepped closer to the bald one.   
  
"Oh! I just remembered about this cooking contest in Atlas City. If I leave now, I may be able to make it…just barely!" Biru's back was already on the other railing, as Em's crew surrounded the old man and his butcher knife.  
  
'We'll see you later, Biru," waved Amelia. "Have a nice trip!"  
  
Biru sweat dropped, swinging his legs overboard. "Curse you all, Lina Inverse! Curse you all…aiiiieeeee!"   
  
Em nodded her head, sighing. "Well, at least that's over." She turned to her first in command. "How's my baby?"  
  
"She's in fair shape, even with the damage sustained. We'll be at the Sheik's city within the morning after we get back on course."  
  
"Anoo! I almost forgot!" said Em. "With all that speed and wild swooping we used, we're well off course!"  
  
"That's fine." The chimera was behind Em and Amelia on the upper deck. "We'll make it to the Sheik's city in time." His cloak seemed to be an extra long version even his face was covered.  
  
"Zel!" Amelia turned her head in surprise at the. "Where were you!"  
  
"Oh Zel?" said Em, "Did you get that work done for me below deck so the ship was ok?" And she nodded her head at the chimera for good measure.  
  
The chimera swallowed. "Uhh, yes! I did. And the ship…is fine! Safe!"  
  
The deck lurched again, this time even harder as the airship destabilized. The ship tipped forward as its bow angled instantly toward to the ground. Its diving caused Em's crewmates to scatter frantically, trying to return order to the airship.  
  
'What's going on?" shouted Amelia, almost falling forward if it wasn't for Gourry's grasp of her cape.  
  
"I don't know who it is…but something big is on the bow on this ship…and I don't see it!"  
  
"Then," answered Zel, "It must be below the decking."   
  
Realization horrified Em and the rest of the company. Another shudder as the bow deck plates blew up, unfolding like a blooming flower. A few of Em's crew were thrown off the airship by the blast, along with debris and crates of supplies.   
  
Emerging from the center of the explosion was a very angry and large bone dragon, almost double the size of any other bone dragon. Its anger made Biru's pet look like it a cheap prop, its growling was easily loud enough to drown out any noise on the ship.  
  
"Oh my…" said Gourry. "That's a big one."  
  
"Don't you think I know that!" Poor Em was hysterical as her airship was falling apart before her eyes. The crew had managed to balance the ship out, but all bets were off as soon as the creature popped his head out from below deck.   
  
On top of the bone dragon's head was a short little man, with a single tuft of curly red hear. The cloaked man was jumping up and down like a maniac, screaming and swearing commands at his beast of burden.  
  
"What do you want!" shouted Zel, as he looked up into ruby-red glowing of the bone dragon's eyes. "We took care of your smaller friend already, don't think that we can do the same thing to you as well!"  
  
"Up here, baka!" The little man looked down at Zel and company, smiling from ear-to-ear. "You should know that the Mazoku race has a vendetta against Lina Inverse and her comrades!"   
  
"We got the invitation sometime a few days ago." Zel pulled his sword out and aimed it up into the air.   
  
"Heh, you are foolish creatures! For eliminating my brother's blood, Curly -- I, Larry, say that you all shall die…"  
  
"Oh, we will se about that" said Em, adjusting the level controls in front of her of her until all the levers were pulled forward. It had an immediately effect, as the bone dragon squealed in pain, its lower body starting to disappear under the power of the chaos box. "Try that on, Mazoku."  
  
Larry smiled as the bone dragon suffered under his feet. His eyes lit a ruby red as it reflected a halo around his sockets. The bone dragon which was starting to weaken snapped to attention as its body regained its visible form. "I've been warned about the your chaos box, my dear lady Em. But I am a powerful opponent, for you and your friends shall not defeat me so easily!"  
  
The bone dragon fired out of its mouth a ball of darkened energy. Em and the rest of the group dived for cover, just managing to evade the monster's shot as it took out the steering wheel and control box.   
  
"Cut that out!" screamed Em. "You're taking out the ship!"  
  
"I want to take out not just your ship, but your lives as well! Don't think you can do anything about it! You fools!" The bone dragon shot another ball, this time missing the deck as it sailed off the airship and exploded from behind.  
  
"What power!!" said Zel, deflecting the exploding blast wave with his sword.  
  
"And what do we do now!" said Amelia, taking steps backwards.  
  
"Actually," said Em, gathering by the rest of the group. "I've got an idea, but I'll need all your help."   
  
"We're here, " answered Zel, as the rest of the group gathered.   
  
"OK, who here doesn't use any magic at all," said Em. "No spells, no potions, no magical parts whatsoever, I'm going to need some help."  
  
Everyone's eyes looked at Gourry, for the swordsman looked like he was surrendering. "I guess that's me. Gomen."  
  
"No, that's good," commented Em, as she took Gourry via the wrist and dragged him away from the crowd. Quickly, Em popped open a hidden floor chute, revealing a rope ladder to below deck. "Get down there! I'll be behind you."   
  
"Hai," said Gourry, disappearing from sight.   
  
"What do we do?" asked Amelia, as the group evading other shot of energy form the bone dragon. It scattered the group as everyone dived for cover to avoid the falling timber.  
  
"I dunno. Just keep him busy, but I swear we'll be right back with help." Em gave Zel a little wink and disappeared down the rabbit hole after the swordsman.   
  
"Umm, ok!" said Amelia. "Come back soon!"  
  
But the bone dragon wasn't playing the game correctly. Without missing a beat, the mammoth beast had regained is composure, charging toward Amelia at a frightening pace.  
  
The princess stood there, like a deer in headlights. "No place to go…can't use a spell…no where to fly, because I may fly off the ship…"  
  
A push in her back by the chimera, as Zel came charging in. It was in no way a polite push, but a movement forward at an opposite angle of the bone dragon and its rider. Amelia let of a little yelp, as she spun off and hit the side railing, falling into unconsciousness.   
  
"You can thank me later…" said Zel.  
  
The chimera was getting a closer look at the bone dragon's face, standing where the princess had once stood. Wow, thought Zel, those molars are sharp. Even if the bone dragon didn't have skin and flesh of a normal dragon, it still had the sharpest of teeth -- able to tear into its adversary's flesh and bone, making a quick meal of its opponent.   
  
And out of pure instinct, Zelgadis held out his left arm as barrier, the shield that is was. The bone dragon looked down at the puny chimera, reached with his neck and promptly took a bite out of his pray.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Gourry and Em fell from a hidden trapdoor directly into the space with the chaos box. The room was no longer sparse, but filled with hanging magical stones. For twenty or so feet around the box, on strings, were the traditional magical amulets of power -- precisely like the protection stones Gourry had seen Lina produce at one time or another.   
  
The chaos box was at the center of it all, enjoying its continuing feeding of energy, even though not as bright and as powerful as when it absorbed a part of Zelgadis' body, it still was enough to light a majority of the room.  
  
"Now, don't touch anything -- OK?"  
  
The swordsman gulped. "I'll be careful."  
  
The magical stones spun slowly on their thin lines of thread as they leaked their precious chaos energy to the box. Over time, the box would eventually drain the amulets of all their energy, forcing Em to go out and buy expensive new ones. She only used the application of all the magical amulets in emergencies to escape, for now was one of those times…  
  
"Hey, those things look familiar," pointed Gourry, looking at an extremely large stone with a pentagram on it. "I bet Lina would want one of these…"  
  
"I'm sure she would, but I'm not giving these things out as candy canes," said Em, smiling.  
  
"Oh…"  
  
They took little time getting to the middle of the room where the chaos box is. "Now, Gourry -- you know these things are really dangerous. Right?"  
  
"Yea, I remember Lina messing with one a week or so ago…" The swordsman shook a bit, remembering how he was almost blown off of Turnip's power. "I don't think I want to remember anything else right now."  
  
"Hai…but we need to overload the balance of this box. Hopefully, we can take that bone dragon with it as the same time." Em was carefully tugging at the top square of the box, until it opened.  
  
Gourry scratch his head. "But…"  
  
"See that corner table over there?" Em pointed to the other side of the room. "Turn it over and bring what's inside over to me."  
  
"Ummm, ok."  
  
Em looked down into the chaos box, its interior glowing brightly out of the open top, illuminating the ceiling. Inside, she could see the chaos stone, glowing ever so bright like a flame inside a lighthouse. It slowly spun in the air, occasionally shooting bolts of lightening within the structure of the box.   
  
She reached in, carefully, looking downward. As if alive, the box objected to Emily's invasion, shooting harmless lightening out of the top, and generally blinking its light an angrily unsteady beat.  
  
"Almost there…got it!"   
  
As Em pulled the chaos stone out of the box, the artificial luminance of the stone and the chaos container extinguished. She brought the stone up to her eyes to show Gourry -- for the swordsman could see clearly through the quartz-like crystal into Em's eyes.  
  
"Wow, it's a portable nightlight!"   
  
Em frowned, motioning to the swordsman to bring over the other object. "Quickly! We haven't much time! Hurry!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
The bone dragon snarled at his pray at the end of his mouth lifting his head into the sky. He happily chewed away Zel's arm, toying with the new morsel in his mouth. While almost up to his shoulder, the bone dragon noticed something was up. As he looked down at his helpless pray, he couldn't help seeing that the chimera was smiling quite casually.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Larry, sneering from about the bone dragon's mouth. "What are you so pleased about, baka, and where's that fear from you…"  
  
Still with most the arm in his mouth, Zel drew his sword and struck a blow on the forehead of the dragon, causing the poor beast to yelp in anger and pain, reluctantly letting the chimera go. Zel landed down on deck on his own two feet, visibly uninjured save for his shredded cloak.   
  
"There's no fear if nothing is wrong…" said the chimera.  
  
Larry didn't understand, but the bone dragon sure did. As the beast opened his mouth, out poured its broken teeth, all over the airship's deck. He whimpered in shame, taking a several steps back while flashing an unhappy toothless view for all to see.  
  
Zel let out a bit of a grin as he ripped the rest of the heavy cloak from his body. The entire left arm and shoulder of his body was encased in a thicker grayish stone, the curse had also plastered over the left temple of his chest.   
  
"You stupid dragon! No wonder you're dead!" Larry smacked the dragon in the side of the head with an extra shot of Mazoku magic, causing the beast the shudder in pain. "Now stomp that creature, otherwise I turn you into bone dragon soup!"  
  
The reluctant beast obeyed, scurrying down the length of the ship. Zel could tell that this time, the dragon was charging to squash the stony chimera, to flatten his enemy's body with immense weight.  
  
The chimera turned around and ran to the stern of the airship. He was quickly running out of real estate, the very end of the ship was less than thirty feet away. As he tried to plan what to do next, he spotted help almost immediately.   
  
"Duck!" yelled Em, with Gourry on her side. In the swordsman's hands was an angry, glowing chaos box, a bit larger than the first box Zel had spotted below decks. This sucker was shaking around, like some fierce wild animal was trapped within its cosmic walls. Even the box itself was looking a bit shabby -- already cracks of energy were escaping along its edges, the slightest of fumbling accidents would set it off.  
  
"…oh mother of nightmares!" said Zelgadis, diving for his life. "Not again!"  
  
"What do I do this thing?" asked Gourry, clearly unable to comprehend the live grenade in his hand.  
  
"THROW IT AT HIM!"   
  
Gourry took a couple of steps back and unwound a high arcing throw of the chaos box. His hurl was right on target, to land on top of Larry and his bone dragon.  
  
The angry box was rather upset at being jostled and thrown around like a cheap package -- nevertheless, it didn't have a choice. To the untrained eye, the box looked like a lame fireball that an amateur had practiced and shot off, the wounded duck would have little effect on its intended target.  
  
Larry saw the fireball almost immediately, letting his eyes glow fiercely as an energy shield went up. But the chaos box came down aplomb, snapping though the Mazoku's shields like a soap bubble. Out of pure instinct, something told Larry in his mind to get himself to escape has he made his bone dragon take a step back.   
  
But a rush of arrogance swept into his head, with no Lina Inverse around, there was no way her friends could even scratch him. He focused his ruby-red eyes on the wounded object, trying again to gain focus on it -- finally, identifying the deadly chaos box for what it really was.  
  
"Oh…crap…"  
  
The chaos box hit the deck hard directly under the feet of the bone dragon, exploding the world into silent white. Larry cursed as being fooled so easily, but did not have time to ponder the situation. Even taking a step back or two had no bearing on his existence, precisely because he no longer existed -- wiped away by the power of the chaos box.  
  
The deck of the airship exploded into a haze of pure white. Energy exploded outward in a fiery ring, hazed over because the gust of energy was so strong.   
  
"Not again!" Amelia shouted at the top of her lungs as she tumbled over the deck of the ship into the sky.   
  
"Amelia!" howled the chimera, reaching out into the white while bracing his body against the back railing of the ship. He was an impossible distance to even reach her, it wouldn't even be fair to see her die this way…   
  
"Zel!"  
  
"Noooo!"   
  
The chimera could only watch as Amelia was swept into the haze. In that mere moment, he was still unable to use his spells as she vanished from his sight.   
  
It took many seconds for the explosion of white to clear. The once mighty airship was in ruins, the wooden base of the ship's bow was mostly gone, sections of the middle and stern of the airship had cracked and collapsed from the sonic blow. The levitation balloon was in tatters; major sectional cells had popped from the shower of debris. A few small fires were scattered around mostly due to the heat, still smoldered on wooden deck. The ship was far from salvageable.   
  
"Amelia!" shouted Zel, "Em!"   
  
"Thoth!" Gourry was to Zelgadis' right, pulling a heavy beam aside while looking for survivors. The swordsman muttered at not finding anyone alive under the broken wood timbers.   
  
"Is anyone else alive?" asked Gourry, looking out on the debris-laden deck.  
  
"*cough* Yea!… *cough*… I'm here!" A small hand pushed out from under a pile of loose rubble that Gourry attacked with earnest. He moved a couple of more panes of wood to uncover Em, her body bent over in a crouched position.  
  
"Hey there…" asked Gourry, scooping her out of the rubble like a lost puppy. "Are you OK?"  
  
The orange-haired girl coughed a couple of times more, then got a chance to look around. "Wow, we barely made it through in one piece. This ship sure is a strong girl, I just hope…OUCH!!"  
  
Gourry sweatdropped. "Something…wrong?"  
  
"Errr…I think knee is all twisted up. My legs are killing me." Em turned her head around. "Hey? Where's all my crew? And where's Amelia, we're going to need that shine maiden's help. Even I'm dying here!"   
  
But Em immediately spotted Zel in the corner of her eye, bent over on the shattered deck, forcing himself to hold back the emotions. "Oh…no…"  
  
Zel looked down at his uncovered chest -- he had just noticed the very rough patch of stone that was eating at his body, firmly covering over his left temple from his arm. He could feel the veins of stone, reaching like spider threads down to his stomach and far into his upper chest, as it reached up the nape of his neck.  
  
He shuddered. He knew, in the back of his mind, his own timeline of mortality had just been accelerated. By how much, he couldn't fathom. All he knew is that, at this moment, his own life no longer mattered.  
  
"AGGGGHHH!"  
  
He clenched his left fist and pounded it through the decking. He was surprised that his rock-laden hand had little trouble cracking through the decking, throwing splinters of wood into the air. "I didn't have a chance to save her!" he shouted. "There was no time at all!"  
  
Gourry was still cradling Em in his arms as the two of them looked at the chimera and his broken heart. They blinked, neither could say much at the moment.  
  
"…No time for what?" was the response from behind.   
  
Zel looked up into the sky -- one could swear that he had shed a tear, but one could never be so sure. He swallowed his emotion, trying to bury it back down into the pit of his stomach. But it wouldn't stay down, as the sentiment was very visible on the chimera's face.   
  
"…Amelia…" he spoke, under his breath.  
  
"There is always time for Justice!" Up into the air, on a higher beam, was Amelia Will Tesla of Saillune, her cape billowing in the wind. "I, the savior for the righteous, shall not be defeated by the forces of evil so easily!"  
  
"How did you get back here!" shouted Em. "There's no way anyone could with spells because the chaos box was active!"  
  
"Easy! As soon as the box had been destroyed and I fell a *long* ways, I was able to Raywing on my way down! Aren't I a smart one!" she smiled. "OK! I'm coming down!"  
  
"No!" bellowed Em, watching Amelia swoop down hard. "Don't land there! You'll cause the entire ship-"  
  
And the princess touched down onto the deck with both feet, going right into it like a two-ton weight through paper.  
  
"Eeeeep!" shouted Amelia, disappearing into a hole she made with her teeth.  
  
The airship responded with pains of anguish. They started where Amelia's hole was, as cracks ripped and split wide open from bow to stern. It was as if the ship was slowly shaking apart, hoping that the leftover green balloon would float all the way up to the sea of chaos.   
  
"Where are we?" asked Zel, looking right through the ship and realizing there wasn't much hull left anymore. What he did see was plenty of blue. "Oh…nuts!"  
  
The airship was dying so fast, that it disintegrated like when the sea attacks a sandcastle. "We must have overshot the Sheik's city by a day or so," said Em, still in Gourry's arms. "We're definitely off course a by day or so…"   
  
Zel frowned. "So much for catching up to Lina."  
  
A mountainous atoll popped up from far below of the airship. "I think we can make it…" Em gulped at recognizing the sighting, for she knew where her location was. "But we can't go there! Not at all!"  
  
"We have no choice!" shouted Zel. "It's the only way we're going to survive, otherwise we're toast."  
  
Amelia had flown back around from underside the ship, this time not even landing on the deck, but preferring to 'float' along. "Come on, Em! Your ride is here!" as she scooped the girl out of Gourry's arms.  
  
"Hey! Wait of minute!" said Em. "I thought Zelgadis was taking me…Hey! I'm scared of heights!"  
  
The chimera and Gourry winked at each other, and then chuckled. "Time to go, Gourry…"  
  
"Hai…" answered the swordsman, "but how I am going to get down?"  
  
"Just be quiet on the way down," ordered Zel as they jumped off the rear of the airship.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
It was a perfect tropical beach. Tiny waves pounded against a shore with sand as fine as silk. The sun was just setting, draping the sky with brushstrokes of red and orange. A medley of tropical flowers and jungle plants lined the shore where the surf had a made a beach. It was a picture of paradise.   
  
In the distance, the wooden hull of the airship had crashed earlier into rocks by the edge of the sea. The airship's hull was nothing but splintered wood, capped over by tattered pieces of the balloon. The ship was still burning; its smoking ruins were quickly being snuffed out by the incoming tide.   
  
Four figures bathed themselves in the evening sunset, looking out into the sea. Gourry and Zelgadis were up on the shore, looking down at the two ladies of the group, ankle deep in the surf.  
  
"For my crew, my shipmates, my friends…" said Em, throwing an island flower into the sea. "I shall always remember you guys."  
  
"For Thoth," followed Amelia, throwing a second flower into the water. "May Cepheid find you peace and he watches over you."  
  
The night was peaceful again.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Yea, I'm chugging along on this fict, although I think we passed the halfway point sometime in this chapter... And thank you to Hunter of the Sith, a pre-reader for all of my later chapters.   
  
- Incantrix  
incantrix@dreamclouds.com   
  
  
---o--o--o--- 


	8. Chapter 8: Tests! The Tribulations of a ...

---o--o--o---  
  
  
Slayers: Clouds!  
  
Chapter 8:  
Tests! The Tribulations of a Sorcerer!  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Your highness. You called for me?" It was already dark when the captain of the guards was relieved of his shift by his lieutenant.   
  
"Kerchef. Good." The voice was coming from the other side of the velvety curtain, where the Sheik was being tendered by his servants. The Sheik did not usually welcome visitors inside of his private courtyard except for his most trusted of colleagues, and only in daytime.   
  
"The time has come, Kerchef. Maximilian has seen that Lina Inverse will be here within a day's time. Please prepare for her."  
  
"I understand," said Kerchef, bowing politely to the open doorway. "I assume that she is here to see the City of the Clouds?"  
  
"Hai," said the Sheik. "We don't have a choice in the matter. You know what there is to do."  
  
Water splashed from the sounds of a body hitting a pool of water. Most people might have been concerned for the Sheik, of an elderly drowning man swimming so late at night. But as captain of the guards Kerchef sighed at the sound and resumed back to his duties.  
  
"Time, Lina Inverse. The time is now."   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Desert. Lots of Desert. Not a stick of green in sight.  
  
"You know," said Lina, "I'm sure glad Jocko gave us all these supplies for tracking down his brother's murderer." She bit into her apple again, polishing off the ruby-reddish snack. "You know, I would have to say that Aermark was a very kind gentleman."  
  
"And," added Filia, "his brother included directions to the Sheik's city." The shrine dragon had her trusty map out again, tracing an outlined route through the desert. "Supposedly, this route runs right through the middle of a wasteland." Filia's eyes glazed over in excitement. "To the Sheik's city, a center of endless riches beyond the wildest of dreams."  
  
"Hai," said Sylphiel, to the left of the chaotic sorcerer, "it will be a beautiful city. But Lina, it might not have been a good idea to accept Jocko's offer under such circumstances, especially since we're already on a mission to find the City of the Clouds."  
  
"Aremark was going to show us something that morning. If he were alive, I would feel a bit better about what's going on," said Lina. "However, I'm sure that whoever is trying to stop our progress along the way is also responsible for Aermark's death. We already know where and when the City of the Clouds is to appear, I'm sure we'll be able to unravel our mysterious nemesis along the way."  
  
Lina took a second to look back at her loaded camel. "Beside, there was no way that I going to turn down such a job for nothing! Look at all this food Jocko gave us!"  
  
The shrine maidens froze in their tracks and sweat dropped.   
  
Lina stopped for a second, scurrying through one of the many burlap sacks that was tied to her camel. "Hey, you know where my other bag of apples are? I could swear they were here. And that water skein, I know it was full a few hours ago…"  
  
"Maybe you should ration your foodstuff a bit better," said Filia. "After all, we wouldn't want you to waste away to nothing!"   
  
With her own supplies ransacked, Lina was already over to the dragon shrine's camel. "Maybe, I put them here, or possibility in here. Gee, I don't know where they could be…"  
  
"Yea, go ahead…its not like you're going to find anything," said Filia, clearly unhappy at the redhead's searching. "Should I mention that I also don't have any food or drink?"  
  
"But why?" Lina continued to look through the burlap bags of her companion's possessions. "Where's that food that you been hiding!" The redhead started chanting obsessively. "Come out! Come out, wherever you are!"  
  
"Don't you see? There isn't any!" answered Filia. "Because someone ate all of it already."  
  
Lina gulped. "Well…err…I guess I was hungry!" The sorcerer lightly tugged at her small waist in her defense. "Its not my fault that I'm a growing woman!"   
  
The sorcerer was searching one the last bags for food, a light-tanned leather satchel. The bag was very old., It's softened yet unrefined lines were clearly a couple of generations out of date. "Ah-hah! Now I know where you've been hiding!"  
  
"Wait a minute!" interrupted Filia, "Don't go in there! I've got…" The blond reached out, pulling the sorcerer away from the satchel. During the unexpected tumble, out tumbled a matching leather-bound book.   
  
"Aack!" Filia tried to catch the falling book, but she misjudging the timing as it tumbled out of her hands to the ground.  
  
"Anno…how clumsy of me!" Lina reached down to pick up the fallen book from the dusty soil, cleaning off the cover with the back of her fingers.  
  
Filia turned as white as a ghost, prying the leather volume from Lina's arms. A worn leather strap was buckled down, keeping the ancient book from flying apart or from unwanted eyes. "Here, let me get that for you. It's quite a dirty little thing and I wouldn't want for you to get your hands dirty…"  
  
However, Lina's grip was rock solid as she stared at the cover. Noticing the familiar image from before, she rubbed years of soil away with her forefinger. The leather cover had darkened from the years of wear, inlayed with small greased-over oil picture.   
  
"Can't tell what this blasted thing is, maybe…" said the sorcerer, continuing to wipe at the palm-sized picture with her moistened finger, removing years of grime. At last truth revealed itself, the discovery only made her blink in surprise. "Oh my…"  
  
"Lina? What is it?" asked Sylphiel while coming closer. "Did you find something?"  
  
"I think," answered Lina, turning the front of the leather book over for Sylphiel to see. "That I found something quite interesting. Very interesting, indeed."  
  
The sorcerer had removed years of black soot, illuminating the rich colors of a minutely detailed oil-painted inset. It was aerial view from a high point, possibly from some mountaintop peek or bridge. Taking up the right side was the unmistakable image of a dragon -- to be precise a golden dragon, his pike weapon out as he readied for an attack. The golden dragon was at attention, snarling as if battle were to start, fulfilling the wishes of its superior. Those were Details that Lina would always remember from not too long ago.   
  
Behind the golden dragon, yet farther away and to the left was the magnificent city, a floating city. The City of the Clouds to be precise, there in the sky…  
  
Filia almost fell over her own prevention was to lean onto a rock for support. She spun her head around at the two other ladies, almost immediately in sorrow. "Lina…Sylphiel…I know that you're wondering…" Other words came to mind, but she stood there agape, other words never leaving her mouth.  
  
Sylphiel pointed to the dragon book. "Wow, it looks like a golden dragon defending the castle…"  
  
"Hmmm…could be." The sorcerer thumbed the leather strap, prying the volume open. "But then you can never tell a book by its cover."  
  
"No! Don't!" Filia raced towards Lina almost immediately, but she was too far away as the sorcerer opened the dragon book open for her eyes to see.  
  
Lina sweat dropped. "Is this some kind of joke!" The sorcerer pointed within the pages of the book, clearly disturbed by its contents. Even Sylphiel, who was standing behind Lina, was staring down in contempt at the contents of the volume.  
  
"You don't understand, Lina," pleaded Filia, holding her hands up in defense. She cleared didn't embellish her begging at the moment. "There are certain…things involved!"  
  
The redheaded one pondered loudly, turning the open book around for Filia to see. The rune writing that had once been so prominently written was now unreadable; its ink run amuck because of water damage.  
  
"WHAT!!" If Filia was aghast before, now she was in total shock. "How did it…?"  
  
Lina flipped the open book to Filia, bemused with the whole lot. "I have no idea why you're carrying around such a useless relic, Filia. We know the City of the Clouds is connected with dragons somehow…but, really now. You could have left this silly thing at home." The sorcerer turned to Sylphiel. "Time to get going?"  
  
"Hai." The purple shrine maiden nodded as they packed Filia's camel back up in an organized manner.  
  
The dragon maiden stared into the open book in disbelief. "But…how? I could swear…" She was looking slightly down the road at Lina and Sylphiel when her tail shot straight up from underneath her shirt.  
  
"Namagomi!" A feeling swept over Filia as she turned her head around. "Where are you!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Did someone call?" A cloaked figure behind a boulder grinned. "Now, you didn't think I'd let the cat out of the bag just yet, would I? How careless of my little dragon to do such a thing."  
  
He patted himself on the back, congratulating himself. "Now Lina, this all is…a secret. Its not the right time now," he said to himself, disappearing back into the ethereal plane. "Soon...I shall say…soon."   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
A few hours later of the scorching desert, and everyone was at wits end…  
  
"Uuugggghhh…" moaned a certain well-known sorcerer, the moisture unable to pour out of her body since she could sweat no more.  
  
"You know, Lina," said Filia, "A little bit more conservation with the food, and I'm sure we could have made it to the Sheik's city with supplies to spare. Just because you ate all our supplies-"  
  
Lina's stomach growled.   
  
Filia's eyebrow twitched as she turned around, walking backwards along the dusty path. "As I was saying," she scolded, "just because you ate all the food and drank all of our water…"   
  
"Did you mention water?" responded Lina, panting like an exhausted dog. "Because I could really go for a really nice large glass of the stuff right now." She suddenly took listen to something in the distance. "You know, I'm sure I could hear the sound of water falling in the distance.  
  
"Actually," said Sylphiel, "I hear the sounds of water as well. It's like a lot of water, falling from some immense height…" The shrine princess took a second to suddenly wipe away the moisture that had landed on her face.  
  
"My, my," said Filia, rather speculative. "So, you've both joined together on a hallucination trip. That's just great."  
  
Lina's eyes were looking up. "Yea…yea, you can tell me that all later…how about if we walk to that waterfall sound, I'm buying a drink." The sorcerer seemed more under an enchantment than anything.  
  
"Sounds good. I'm almost excited." Sylphiel was equally tuned out, her sight glued to the sky, looking around for rain clouds or other sources of water.   
  
The two of them stopped in their tracks, each with eyes the size of saucers. It wouldn't have gotten Lina or Sylphiel's interest even if a naked Gourry had dropped between the two of them.  
  
"What in the world has your attention, bakas…" Still backpedaling, this only made the shrine dragon lady to turn around towards their destination. "Oh my Cepheid…"  
  
It indeed was a gigantic waterfall that stretched for miles and miles to the very edge of the horizon. First, its height was amazing -- the waterfall was at least a thousand feet high. Huge amounts of water were gushing over, the resulting misting from such a great height was enough to saturate miles and miles around. But it wasn't the sheer height of the waterfall that dwarfed their eyes but the very width of it as well, running miles and miles to the left and right far over the horizon.  
  
Smack dab in the center of their view was an enormous city, lush in greenery and water. Supporting buildings were simple square rectangular structures, capped with a curved tower or two, their walls covered with healthy crawling vines. Tan color walls matched the sand almost perfectly, occasionally the towers were inlayed with a shade of red and yellow, their bottoms lined with huge shrubs of the same greenery.  
  
But at the very center of the city held a magnificent central building, so high that it almost climbed the waterfall behind it. Many of its terraces supported gardens of their own, covering the huge exterior of the tower. Its main spire leaned over the waterfall so much that it eventually arched over the top of the waterfall to dry land above the waterfall, to another higher palace of glory, a magnificent round golden dome.  
  
Water was spraying off everywhere: off of cliffs, other buildings, and other high points, misting the view of the magical city with a glimpse or two of a rainbow, as well as a pond or two. In fact, the entire area was surrounded by a series of manmade canals, whereas lakes of water created a boundary for the outer edges of the city, protecting it so.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Water! I see water," said Lina, dashing unexpectedly forward, leaving her traveling companions behind. "That means it's time to get down there now!"  
  
"Wait! It could be dangerous!" shouted Sylphiel, running after her friend.  
  
Filia didn't know what to make of the whole matter. "Of all the things I do…" She sighed, running after the two other crazy ladies. "Hey, wait up!"  
  
The sorcerer found it immediately, the fountain by the entrance of the city. It could only be made by the most skilled of craftsmen, for it was three tiered, like mushrooms on top of mushrooms, spraying its precious water everywhere. The fountain looked so inviting that Lina had to cup her hand, reaching out and drinking its precious liquid…  
  
"Lina, what are you doing?" Sylphiel looked at her apprehensively. "You really shouldn't be drinking their water, it may not be a good idea."  
  
"PWWWFFFFTT! Salty! This stuff is horrible!" Lina sprayed the fountain water out her mouth, wiping away the foul traces of salt. "I think its sea water!"  
  
A crowd of the locals formed around the strangers, pointing and motioning at the ladies. "She drank from the eternally cursed spring," said one of the locals. "Oh dear, why would that crazy young girl to do such a thing…" Clearly the whispers were getting louder, as the news traveled fast in the Sheik's city.  
  
Lina was still spitting the salt out of her mouth when Sylphiel came to her side. "Are you ok?" She took a second to look over Lina's disgust in the water. Satisfied that she was ok, Sylphiel let out a little sigh.  
  
A curious commotion from the crowd suddenly hushed the group. A few of the Sheik's guards appeared, armed with pikes and other lengthy weapons. They were simply dressed with light one-piece tunics and running moccasins for footwear. Tied at their waists were scimitar swords, their huge blades quite menacing.   
  
Tailing the guards into the fountain area was Filia, with a look of grave concern on her face. "Anno, Lina, you really shouldn't run off like that." It was a slight scolding from the dragon, but anyone would think that Filia was more relieved that Lina was OK.  
  
The Sheik's guards motioned to Lina with their hands to move away from the edge of the fountain. The sorcerer was still playing a bit, examining the purity of the salty water. Which to her magical touch seemed like seawater to her.   
  
Lina turned around to her new company. "Oh, hi guys. Care to join me here for a drink?"  
  
"You are the one who has drank from the springs of mortality?" asked the closest guard.  
  
Lina swore. She just remembered one of her outset adventures with Naga, how she had almost taken a dip into another cursed spring. Luckily, a local pointed out the harm from bathing in such waters. But this fountain wasn't labeled with any warning signs, guarded, or anything. Just like the other one, it seemed like a typical normal spring. Man-made, however…  
  
"Yep, that's me," she stuttered. Well, this didn't sound like too much a pleasant conversation was going to happen. "But it doesn't look like I've turned into a toad or anything, have I?"  
  
"No, not yet." The other guards giggled at Lina's comment. "But, you and your traveling companions will have to come with us. You are required to see the Sheik."  
  
Suddenly frightened, Sylphiel clasped her hands together. "Oh Lina, what kind of trouble have you gotten involved in now?"   
  
"Whatever it is," said Lina as she rubbed her knuckles together in earnest, "I'm sure that I'll be able to take care of it rather easily." If the guards were going to attack, they would have done so already. Instead, they seemed to be mostly amused by Lina drinking the fountain water, as if she were a fool.  
  
The purple shrine maiden turned back to the Sheik's guards, pleading for leniency. "Couldn't you just make an exception for her at the moment? I mean, there's no reason to harm Lina, is there?"  
  
The guards laughed. "Us? Harm her? You've got to be kidding." They waved their hands in jest. "We have no intention of harming any of you. But those who drink from the sacred fountain are given a banquet of their choosing before their sentence is carried out."  
  
"A banquet!" Lina grabbed one of the guards by the arm and cozied up to the poor guard like a best friend. "I like banquets…a lot!"   
  
"Um, miss." The guard sweat dropped. "Perhaps if you didn't look at me like a turkey sandwich, I would very much appreciate it," he said. "Are you ready to come to the Forbidden Palace?"  
  
Lina nodded an affirmative, dragging the Sheik's guard towards the palace. "Uh-huh, I want to eat!"  
  
"Lina?" asked Filia, coming around from the side. "Where do you think you're going? Without us?"   
  
"Oh." The sorcerer stopped in her tracks. "Hey, buddy? How about if we bring those two along?" She looked back at her starving travel companions. "You know, maybe your Sheik could use a few more harem girls?"  
  
The lead guard eyed the ladies for a bit, causing both of them to blush. Filia was so flushed over with embarrassment that her tail stuck out, her pink bow flapping on the ground. Sylphiel was quick to see the tail, and moved over a foot to hide the view.  
  
"You two also want to attend the royal palace?" said the lead guard. The girls smiled a kawaii look while tilting their heads a bit. "I believe the Sheik will have use for you ladies, I'm sure about that."  
  
The shine maidens did not look all that happy as more guards escorted them to the palace. "Keep your shirts on boys," said Filia, "we're going…"  
  
With the all of the ladies and guards leaving, the crowd talked among themselves. "Why, why would they ever want to go to the royal palace?" said one of the townspeople.   
  
"You know the story, my friend. Whoever goes to the Forbidden Palace gives up their will, never to return. For they must live the rest of their lives by the sea."  
  
"Aye, I've heard of that fish story…"  
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
Zelas Metalium was an unusual higher Mazoku. She actually, on occasion, left her homeland and went to the land of humans. After all, as a Mazoku, she liked to feed on fear of humans -- in places other than her home island.   
  
But in turn, being cooped on Wolfpack Island had its advantages. She was safe to rule of an area of land and ocean, which would scare the jeepers out of travelers alike. To say that the land was gloomy would be an understatement. Thus, it was quite easy to scare up an appetite.  
  
But she wasn't home now but out and about in the desert, in the human world. She was overlooking human souls by a cliff side opposite of the Sheik's city. Yes, this was quite unique way to enjoy the desert.   
  
The greater beast was laid out in a summer lounge chair, watching through a thick pair of eyeshades. Most of her body was covered in a sexy black one-piece suit that showed of plenty of leg, a wide brimmed sunhat to keep her head out of the sun. Her minor minions were feverishly working her over, the shapeless creatures were like little black clouds, still too young to fight and be part of any battle, but old enough to obey her simple orders of comfort.  
  
For being in a treeless wasteland, the sun's rays were never going to reach Zelas. Above her head was a large black umbrella, blocking most of the sun's rays. Beyond that, a huge pentagon tent covered four of the five sides with immoveable walls, so even if she could see out into the sunny city below, it was still quite dark inside of her cave.   
  
"Keep it going," said Zelas to her minions. "I'm almost comfortable…"  
  
One of the shapeless black morphs was busy tugging a rope up and down, spinning a fan above its master's head. Another unnamed one was busy painting Zelas' nails a nice ruby color that clashed with the rest of the greater beast's outfit. Zelas didn't actually mind the Shabby color, even if it didn't match the rest of her dreary avant-garde complexion.   
  
With little to do but sit there, Zelas thought about the previous events. It was this cloud business, and she knew how much of a pain it was to the Mazoku. Philbrizzo's mess and plaything, Zelas had called it. He had told her the details some years back during an unusual meeting on the Astral plane. It was a meeting that she didn't even care for, but as a lower member had to attend. Not that she could blow off such a thing before, but she could easily qualify the situation as not her problem.   
  
But then Philbrizzo was out of commission. And as the date approached for the re-appearing of the Cloudminders, she knew that it could have the recuperations. Only if she had not taken the proper steps to keep it in check.  
  
Zelas knew that Xellos had uncovered the rest of the secrets of the Cloudminders already -- he was there during their initial encounter, right after the war of the Monster's Fall. And, so far, her priest-general had followed her details precisely with dealing with the humans.  
  
And speaking of her minion, Xellos appeared on the rocky ledge and walked into the shaded pentagram tent. "Good afternoon, my lord," as he bowed slightly in a sign of respect. "You have requested my appearance?"  
  
"I did." She held out her hand as a minor minion took to it with a final round of nail polish. "I assume you are still tracking Lina and her companions?"  
  
"I am, my lord. Lina approaches this location as we speak."   
  
"Fine. Do what is necessary to complete our objectives."   
  
Xellos sneered. "Oh, so the Cloudminders-"  
  
"You were not supposed to open the can of worms." Zelas tapped the edge of her lounge chair with the tip of her nails. "Their interference has lead to…complications."  
  
"I do have some leeway in the situation, don't you think so?"  
  
Zelas turned her head away from looking at her subordinate, disgusted with the whole matter. "You are dismissed."  
  
"Hai." Xellos nodded and disappeared into the Astral plane.   
  
The shapeless figures got back to work on pleasing Zelas, like nothing had happened. He knows, surmised Zelas, he's on to something after all…  
  
The minor minions suddenly stopped their work, dropping their attention to Zelas. They raced across the room settling into a perfect row, as if getting ready for an inspection. The greater beastmaster herself sighed, lowering the sunglasses from her face, not at all happy to hear from her second visitor of the hour.  
  
"You really shouldn't be here. I'm always flabbergasted by your timing, in fact."  
  
"And your actions are complicating matters." The deep voice shook from the back of the tent, its glowing red energy rather apparent. "This is a simple assignment. I would have sent Xellos to attack Lina Inverse immediately."  
  
Zelas sighed. "I'm not surprised you think that way with my priest-general. Xellos is best utilized when he uses his own methods. A direct approach is a desperate course of action, even to order it to him is a useless command." She turned back around. "One does not use a knife blade showing, to stab someone in the back. It should come rather…unexpectedly."  
  
The voice came forward as it rumbled on a bit more. As it did, the minor minions shook. "My forces are coming in as well. Some are already here and I have assisted in other diversions already."  
  
"I know." She picked up the file from the table and did her own nails out of boredom. "Xellos knows of your actions by now. There is no use hiding from him."  
  
The voice chose to ignore Zelas' objections. "Do not forget our intention here and the necessary course of action. The Cloudminders already know that Philbrizzo and his powers are no longer here. Do not forget that."   
  
Zelas glared into the back of her tent, wordlessly.  
  
"The task at hand is your only objective, Zelas. I am asking you much more than suggesting you stop them."   
  
"And, what else are you in turn going to do about it?"  
  
"Very well. I will have someone attend to the matter as well. But this is the last time I interfere. The next time, it is your own sacrifice that will be next." The glow of red eyes that had come out of the darkness finally faded back into nothingness. "Do not disappoint me."   
  
Zelas' minions finally stopped shaking, choosing to return to their servant duties in taking care of Zelas. "It appears," she mumbled, "that we are heading for a showdown. Either way, it spells the demise of one Lina Inverse."   
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
Lina and her escorted company walked along the streets of the Sheik's city, amazed by its wealth and prosperity. A marketplace was on every block, a restaurant and inn at every intersection. As they progressed through the city, the people looked out from their windows and doors, taking peeps at the strangers before disappearing back into their homes.  
  
"They are sure curious of us," commented Sylphiel. "I have to wonder why."  
  
"It's a thriving city, with plenty of food and water," said Filia, "Not too many civil problems in my opinion." The shrine dragon sighed. "I so envy a place like this."  
  
Lina scanned the marketplace to her left as they walked escorted toward the waterfall cliffs. The crowd hushed as they walked on by, peeking away from their daily business. "I can usually smell when something is up. Call it a hunch. And my hunches are up placing a bet right now, even stronger than what happened at Turnip's casino."  
  
The other ladies nodded, as they continued their walk toward the waterfall cliffs.   
  
"Over there," pointed the guard, "by the lift." His direction was to a box that was like a large basket, well able to hoist a large cache of supplies. The ancient cable car was more than large enough to hold the ladies and their escorts. Attached to the sides of the car were many long lines, strung up straight into the sky to a hole right into the bottom seemingly floating path to the Sheik's palace.  
  
A more distinguished guard came over to meet the guests of the Sheik as they all entered the open cable car. "I am Kerchef, the captain of the Sheik's guards. By our order of royal laws, you have been asked as our distinguished guests to join the Royal Highness this evening at dinner. We have already been preparing your quarters for some time."   
  
Kerchef was dressed no different than the other guards, except for a fist-sized red jewel that shone in the front of floppy hat. His physical appearance was a bit older, his goatee grayer but short. His skin weathered like fine leather from the endless sunny days. But Lina could tell it by Kerchef's demeanor and how his men listened to every word from the captain's mouth that he was the leader of the Sheik's troops.   
  
"So," asked Lina, "the Sheik has been expecting us?"  
  
Kerchef sweat dropped. "Hardly," answered the captain. "Strangers are exceptionally rare in these parts, even if there has been a recent 'influx' of them in the last few days. Many of the nobles are concerned over the rumors of legends and lies, but that is expected every sixty years or so. Such foolish tales."  
  
"So," asked Filia, "you don't believe in such fairy tales?"  
  
"Hardly," said Kerchef. "I have never seen the golden snakes of the sea, nor floating cities. It's all a bunch of hogwash." The captain watched as his men finished loading a couple of baskets of supplies, thus cupping his mouth and turning his head upwards.   
  
"LIFT!"   
  
The basket jerked a bit as the thin lines tightened. The uneven swaying turned into a steady pace as the basket went up into the air.  
  
"Why couldn't the Sheik live down here with his people?" asked Lina, looking out onto his grand city.   
  
Kerchef nodded. "The Sheik prefers his privacy from other. Only the royal guards come down from above the waterfalls and rule. If there are any problems to be decided, they are handled by me."  
  
"By you?" snickered Lina, mocking at Kerchef a bit. "Why is that?"  
  
The captain grinned. "You will learn that in good time, Ms. Inverse."  
  
The sorcerer sweat dropped. "Huh…how do you know my name? I haven't told anyone about our identities." Behind her, Filia and Sylphiel shrugged their shoulders.   
  
"Ahhh, that is the work of the Regent, Maximilian. Our wizard and second in ruling has known for some time about your arrival. He has informed the Sheik and myself of your timely visit."  
  
Filia rubbed her chin for good measure. "Is that so…"  
  
The lift finally finished its ascent into the air, leveling to the outside ground floor. The cable car had taken them most of the way up the waterfall. A wide path that snaked up the rest of the floating path to the upper palace. The lower palace was now behind them, its roof just below their feet.   
  
"We use the lower palace as an administration center, and to store supplies for our city garrison." Kerchef pointed to a highest spire among the lower palace towers. "Maximilian's laboratory is up in that tower."  
  
"I thought sorcerer's have their laboratories underground," said Sylphiel, looking at the gleaming spire. "You know, because of dangerous things like legacies."  
  
"True," answered Lina, "But sometimes they have high locations. You didn't see Rezo's grand tower, his very last home before he released Shabranigudo. Not much is left of it, I'm afraid."  
  
"Well, some humans are more foolish than others," said Filia. "Having such a laboratory so close to his city, I would think that Maximilian would know better."  
  
Kerchef did not want to start an argument with his guests, preferring to keep his mouth shut. He led them up the rest of the path with a couple of other guards, to the entrance of the domed palace.  
  
"Please, this way." It took all of Kerchef's strength and his two underlings to swing up in the double-set of swinging doors to the Forbidden Palace. Once the golden doors budged, they swung suddenly inward, revealing the spender of wealth inside.   
  
"Magnificent…" Sylphiel and the others were struck dumb by the sheer grandeur of the dome's interior. The palace was completely hollow, its walls were framed with gilded gold and ornate white trim, with colored cut glass filling the rest of the interior. Most of the cut glass was opaque blue or green, with an occasional splash or red or orange.   
  
"It feels like…I'm under the water," said Filia.   
  
"How can this view be so realistic," followed Sylphiel. "It would have taken the artisan years to complete such a work."  
  
Kerchef looked up. "This is the illusion I bring to you, those who dwell on the surface…" A double set of guards emerged out from the far velvet-curtained entrance, surrounding the outer walls of the dome. Their stoic nature gave all signs that they were loyal to Kerchef and the Sheik. "This is a place visited by few individuals. Those who visit the Forbidden Palace are esteemed ones, indeed."   
  
Lina tapped her foot impatiently. "Come on, boys. I haven't got all day here." She could just imagine the pompous Sheik, dressed head to toe in the most lavish of silk robes, adorned by countless rubies and diamonds. He was probably a well-mannered individual of lust, the desert years had given him the countless knowledge of the lands, the high level of royalty had supplied him with the manliness of looks.  
  
A guard near the far entrance spoke up so everyone could hear. "I present our royal one, known as the fairest ruler among the lands, king of the water and those who see it as it sparkles in the light, Sheik Uzumara!"  
  
The red velvet curtains pardoned and out stepped a fishman.  
  
"WAHH!!" Lina's chin seemed to hit the ground as she turned to Kerchef. "Is this some kind of joke!"   
  
"Why, no!"  
  
"You've got a fishman," exclaimed Lina, "running one of the richest kingdoms in the world. Are you…crazy! Nuts! On the Mazoku's payroll!"  
  
The Sheik cross his human-like arms yet didn't answer to the accusations. For a Sheik, he was taking everything in stride.  
  
"Ahh, Lina? I don't think this is a joke…" said Filia.  
  
"A Sheik…" said Sylphiel, unable to help herself from pointing, "is suppose to be an aged gentle old man…with a white beard, with…whiskers…" Her body gave out as she collapsed unconscious onto the ground.  
  
"Sylphiel!" Filia ran over to the passed out shrine maiden to revive her.  
  
"Are you kidding me!" Lina pouted with both her hands glued to her waist. "I grilled some dried fish over a campfire a few days ago. The only thing that guy is good for is dinner! And on my plate, if he wasn't so old!"   
  
Kerchef looked down on the petite redhead. "It would be wise if you addresses the Royal One properly, Ms. Inverse."  
  
The Sheik was indeed an elder fishman, with white beard and whiskers that matched his lack of head hair. Around his wrists and wide neck hung exquisite jewelry of rubies and treasure of the sea -- black pearls the size of small fists that spoke of immense wealth, all laced with extra splashes of gold.   
  
Uzumara coughed ever so politely. "Lina Inverse and companions to the great sorceress…" he spoke, his voice dark, deep, and very serious.   
  
Filia stepped forward, politely bowing to the leader. "Thank you for having us in your home, Sheik Uzumara. We hope that you are pleased with our presence."   
  
Uzumara pondered a bit at the shrine's dragon's introduction. "Hmmm, very well…and you are?"  
  
With Filia's help, the purple-haired one managed to regain her composure. "Syphiel Nels Lahda, shrine maiden." She neatly bowed.   
  
"OK buddy," said Lina, clearly thankful that the introductions were over. "How about some information."  
  
"Very well, my short tempered friend." The Sheik clapped his human-like hands together, motioning the velvet curtain to open behind him. "Please come with me," said Uzumara. "I promise to explain all that is here."   
  
Lina shrugged her shoulders, turning to her companions. "Oh, I can't wait to hear this fish story."  
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
The Sheik escorted Lina and her guests outside of the Forbidden Dome, with Kerchef following in the rear. The five of them were on Uzumara's private landing, a balcony of sorts. A small wading pool took up the center of the marble balcony; it looked important that the Sheik was close to water with the hot desert sun beating down on them. Around the edge of the balcony were potted tropical plants, built into exquisitely carved gold-leafed planters that also served as railing for the landing.   
  
The private balcony was above one of the largest dockyards and cities that Lina Inverse had ever seen. This island of the Forbidden Palace was small at best, the golden dome took up most of the land. To either side were the waterfalls, of seawater falling off into the dry desert.   
  
But facing her beyond the island of the golden palace, were countless grounded dockyards and ships from around the world. The docks were manned -- no, they were run by fishman, the men of the sea. Trade, in all its glory, was fast as furious, as one ship traded barter supplies; other ships traded with the fishman themselves. It was nothing more than a trading post, multiplied a dizzying amount of times. All run by dedicated fishman, all guarded by the Sheik's men.   
  
A trading ship was coming in fast. It was caught in the grip of the water, its very currents racing over the waterfalls. Just before the point of no return, an army of swimming fishman ensnared the trading ship in a web of line. With perfect precision, the ship was ensnared and brought safety into the docks by the Sheik's men.  
  
Who says you can't sail off the sea, were the stories that made legends. The land was flat, they say. And if you sailed far enough, you would eventually fall right off into the sea of chaos. But in this instance, if you missed the dock city of the Sheik Uzumara, you would surely lose your ship, your cargo, as well as your precious life.  
  
And if an enemy ship came lo and behold, the fishmen would suddenly wait on dry land. The enemy vessel had no choice but to drift swiftly towards the waterfall. Lina could just imagine the crew on those ships, unable to attack or even dock with the Sheik's city, swearing at first, then later praying to the fishman for their lives.  
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
"Please, have a seat." A few chairs were scattered around while the Sheik walked back into his wading pool. "I need the water, Ms. Inverse. I am an old fishman, and it does help." The sheik watched as the ladies took their seats around the wading pool. "Not many people have been to this private landing, the fewer the better."  
  
"Ah, I see…" said Sylphiel. The other girls waited for Uzumara to start his story.   
  
"It all started a long time ago. My mother was a widowed fishwoman in her own right. She lived along the upper cliffs of the waterfall, among the great many treasures collected over time. One day, she rescued two young sibling boys and their father. You know one of those boys as Kerchef, the royal captain to our guards. The other is Maximilian, our trusted Regent and wizard."  
  
Kerchef was next. "Myself and Maximilian had been lost in the watercliffs, as we were stranded on top of an island where the golden palace is today. Our Mother was gone and our Father was weakened."  
  
Uzumara looked out. "And my mother appeared. She took care of the weakened man and his two very young sons, capturing them food and supplies in the ravenous rocks. It took quite a while, but my mother was finally able to retrieve enough supplies to fashion a rope from the top of the waterfall to the bottom."  
  
Kerchef continued. "My father was finally rested enough to plan a life for us. But we were penniless and without our home, so we began to live at the bottom of the waterfall, at first growing crops and then setting up an inn and finally a small village. When we were little, I used to play with Uzumara almost every day, climbing the rope to the island and playing among the waterfall currents. But my father was always thankful for his savior, and so he would climb the rope and visit every day as well. He had fallen in love."   
  
The Sheik coughed. "And in that time, my mother fell for Kerchef's father as well."  
  
"Oh…how sweet" said Sylphiel. "A love story!"  
  
Lina shot the purple shrine maiden a dirty look.  
  
"In time, they hatched much of the dual world that you see here today. With my mother's help for treasure hunting, Kerchef's father was able to build the little town into the successful city on the lower plains under the waterfalls. The people of this region were so thankful and rich with my stepfather's rule, that they made him Sheik of the lands."  
  
"In turn, my father's love for Uzumara's mother…" said Kerchef. "So, when my father died of natural causes some years ago, he will decreed that Uzumara run the Sheik's empire. We, in turn, maintained the cover all of this time."  
  
A gust of wind blew by Lina's face, she was in shock over the lengthy tale. "But then…you mean to tell me, that they, the Sheik's citizens don't know you're a…fishman!"   
  
Uzumara nodded. "Correct. But there's much more to that, Lina Inverse. We have spent countless years maintaining the balance of man verses fishman. Much of my extended family runs the trading here. There is harmony among all here."  
  
Filia squinted her eyes, in disbelief. "That's sounds great and everything, but this isn't reality. What's to prevent one of those loyal guards from speaking the truth?"  
  
"Because," said Lina, "I would bet that the royal guards are fishman as well, just to be on the safe side."  
  
"Lina!" said the purple shrine maiden, interrupting the conversation. "You shouldn't say that about these people!"  
  
It was Kerchef who motioned his hands to settle down. "Well, some of the guards true identities are as fishman, that much is true. However, a few of us…"  
  
Lina looked up. "Hmmm?"  
  
Kerchef coughed again. "Well, you see -- some of us more than attached to this way of life. We have families with them, but like Uzumara." Lina's face turned white at Kerchef's comments. "It's a different world here, Lina. This land and its riches have been at peace for many of years."  
  
"I see." The sorcerer came closer to Uzumara, as if in her way, asking for something. "So, how about that feast that Kerchef promised me! I'm starving!"  
  
Everyone else facefaulted.   
  
"Why," asked Sylphiel, shaking her head in disgust, "does she have to ask about food! Can't something else be on your mind?"  
  
Kerchef went behind the fishman Sheik and whispered into his gill. "Ah…so…" answered Uzumara to the Captain's news.  
  
"He's got ears?" whispered Sylphiel, to the other shrine maiden.  
  
Filia shrugged in response. "I guess so. He's got to hear us somehow."   
  
Lina's stomach growled. "So," she said, covering her tummy in a motion of embarrassment, "how about that meal your men promised me, huh?" She gritted her teeth, ready to bite into the tasty fish. "I wouldn't mind some seafood tonight?"   
  
"Very well." The Sheik let out a grin from a mouth that could swallow the diminutive sorcerer in one gulp. As he beamed, Uzumara snapped his fingers twice, scattering his attendants into the balcony area and barked out orders. "A banquet in your honor is being arranged as we speak for this evening. After all, we can let our little guest be hungry."  
  
"Ahh…" Lina stared at Uzumara in fascination. "No! Of course not!"  
  
"Good," said the Sheik, rubbing his black pearls for good measure. "I can imagine that you are tired from your journey. Please rest in the private chambers that that been arranged for you." He pointed back towards the dome. "One of my servants will show you the way to the lower palace."   
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
As the strangers turned around and followed one of the Sheik's many followers, Lina was smiling like a cheshire cat, her two companions were less than enthusiastic.   
  
"That went well," said Lina.  
  
"Sure, " answered Filia, staring down at the redheaded sorcerer, "it went swell for you. Mind you that it usually spells 'oh crap!' for later? And weren't you supposed to be sentenced?"  
  
"Oh, relax!" answered back their fiery one, "If something comes up unexpected, I can always zap them with a dragon slave or two." She flicked a tiny fire in her hands, something a little more advanced than a light spell, but nevertheless it was strictly show in tell. "And don't forget, we've got Sylphiel here as backup with a dragon slave as well."  
  
"Anno…" Sylphiel looked for a place to hide under Filia's sudden gaze, but was rather 'in the open.'   
  
"You?" said the blond, staring down at the purple shrine lady, "can cast Dragon Slave?" The dragon gave the other shrine maiden a look from head to toe. "But you're not a chaotic sorcerer!"  
  
"No, I'm still a shrine maiden," answered Sylphiel, "who just happens to specialize in Dragon Slave."   
  
The servant led them into the lower palace came to another extravagant set of double doors, inlayed with the famous scene from the War of the Monster's Fall. These doors were a lot smaller then the ones on the Forbidden Palace. With little fanfare, the servant pushed the double set of doors wide up. A stream of light came out from the inside of the room, almost blinding the traveling ladies.  
  
"Your room, ladies," said the servant as he led them into the plushest of apartments. The huge sitting room was ablaze in light from the countless balcony and three walls of windows that faced out onto one of the many waterfalls. Sheer white curtains fluttered over the window walls, leaving no room for paintings or anything else. The lounge chairs and stools were like billowing clouds: overstuffed, luxurious, and upholstered over in the finest of silk.  
  
"Oh wow…" Sylphiel let herself collapse into one of the couches, her small body disappearing in the silken cushions. "This is so nice…"  
  
The attending servant coughed as he posted out his hand, his palm up as if waiting for something.   
  
Lina blinked. "Ummm…" The sorcerer quickly unclipped her cape, tossing her exterior clothing over the servant's head. "Now, I need them cleaned by dinner. Got that?"  
  
The attendant sweat dropped, uncovering his head. As he was leaving the room, the dragon maiden caught up with him near the door.   
  
"Excuse me?" said Filia, dropping a few coins into his other hand, sending him on his way.  
  
"Huh?" asked Lina, looking at the dragon lady. "What was that all about?"  
  
Filia sighed. "Oh nothing." The blond dropped her travel bag into her room. "I need to freshen up a bit, so excuse me while I attend the Sheik's onsen." Exiting the suite, Filia seemed drained from the whole day; she was in some serious need of detoxifying off of Lina.  
  
The redheaded sorcerer shrugged, collapsing back into the soft couch next to Sylphiel. "Ahhh, I really do need some time off my feet." She reached down with her hand, loosening one of her boots until it fell to the floor. "It's like I haven't relaxed in ages."  
  
The purple shrine maiden turned over to face her companion. "Lina…do you think something is up with Filia? I know I've never met her before this week, but…she seems rather distracted with something ."  
  
"Hmmm…" Lina was busy squirming around with her other boot, trying her hardest to get it off her foot. "I do suppose she's thinking about something. After all, little Valgaav isn't traveling with her. I'm sure she's worried sick about him."  
  
Sylphiel leaned over. "Of course she's worried! What mother wouldn't be concerned about her son!"   
  
"Yea, I know. But you're right, there's something else," said Lina. "Remember that book we saw from Filia's knapsack earlier this morning? The one with the dragon on the front?"  
  
"Uh-huh. It had a bunch of runic writing but the ink was smeared. We couldn't understand any of the words nor images."   
  
Lina blinked. "Yep, that's true. But when I was focusing on the very page when I first opened the book, it was clear. I could swear something…that those unmistakable images were of dragons, not golden ones but of…ancient dragons."  
  
"Ancient dragons!" said Sylphiel, turning her head up. "Are you sure?"  
  
"And a second later, that image was gone." Lina twisted in the couch, the redhead was unable to get comfortable in the seats of luxury. "I didn't want to bring it up with Filia, because it brings up a lot of past history with her. A lot of history." Lina saw Sylphiel squirm in her seat but continued. "I know there's Valgaav now, for as far as I know Filia's unborn son is the last of the ancient dragons."  
  
"Uh-huh."   
  
Lina twisted her body up from out of the cushions. "I know, the connection is just too striking. But there's also something else going on here that I can't explain. One, Filia isn't telling us the truth about the City of the Clouds. She knows a lot more about what's going on."  
  
The purple shrine maiden nodded in agreement. "Hai, but what do we do about it? You don't seem to want to ask her out of the blue, do you?"  
  
"No, I can't." said Lina. "If its something that she could have told us, then we would have known it already. Therefore, it has to be something important, also because Valgaav isn't with her. I have to assume she is risking quite a lot to be here." Lina turned her body again, muttering.  
  
"Do you suppose…that little Valgaav is in trouble?"  
  
"Possibly…stupid plush sofa, I keep sinking in between the cushions!" Lina felt the entire couch vibrate a bit, as if someone was shaking it slightly. "What's…going…on!" she said, feeling her own body for clues.   
  
"But…I didn't feel a thing," said Sylphiel.  
  
"…Lina? Are you there?…Hello?" The voice seem to come from the waist of the sorcerer. "Lina?? Anyone?…"  
  
"Ummmm," said Sylphiel, pointed to Lina's midsection, "I think you have a call."  
  
"Who? Where?…" It took a second for Lina to feel her own body and pull out the mirror from Turnip's security room. She frowned, recognizing the face of Gourry in the magical reflection.  
  
"When are you guys going to get here! You're at least a day late!" said the sorcerer, taking it out on the poor swordsman. Lina was clearly angry and concerned at the same time. "We've got only two days to make it to where the City of the Clouds is showing up, and you guys are off to Cepheid knows where?"   
  
The swordsman was speechless during the interrogation. That hesitation cost Gourry a chance to talk, for the mirror was suddenly in the mitts of the princess from Saillune.   
  
"Hey Lina!"  
  
"Amelia! Where in the world are you guys!"  
  
"Gomen! But you wouldn't believe what we've been through these last couple of days…" Amelia pleaded her case as she told the story of the great airship and the attack of Biru and the bone dragons. "…and then we crashed here, and we're all ok, however…" Amelia had described the important details about their new friend Em and Gourry's heroic action."  
  
"What about Zel…" asked Lina, interrupting the princess from Saillune.   
  
The princess sniffled a bit if a ragweed flower was nearby. "Something's wrong with Zel…I…" Lina hung her head in silence, keeping quiet. "He says its normal for him to have skin lesions…but I think something wrong…" Amelia's eyes began to tear as one formed in the corner of one of her eyes.  
  
Lina nodded, acknowledging Amelia's news without saying a word. "Is he there right now?"  
  
Amelia twisted her head around. "No, he's resting in his room." She could barely swallow her words as she spoke them. "But Lina, we're definitely in some kind of trouble here." And Amelia spilled the rest of the short tale. "I don't suppose you know what we can do."  
  
"Actually…" said Lina, putting on a slight grin of satisfaction, "I do have an idea."   
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
Filia opened the door to the private changing area for the woman's onsen and spa; a small room with castle-like walls. The place had the atmosphere of roughness to it: the uncut marble walls, the mirrors were not perfectly rectangular, but odd magical shapes of pentagons and hexagons. To the left were an assortment of wooden cubbyholes for clothing and fresh towels, on the opposite side were the twin brass sinks and a variety of bath oils and lotions.  
  
Instead of changing like other humans, she decided to morph out right of her clothes to human skin. She could never get used to her naked human self, she felt so cold without her scales. Just like her dragon self, her human body needed periodic cleaning. And the cold marble floor was frightening to touch, her bare toes curling up like evening rose petals.   
  
Filia reached for one of the many white terry robes that hung on the wall. She was sure to pick one of the human-sized robes, other robes were not quite her size but for more for a 'roundish' fish body type. Nodding her head, she wrapped herself in the terry robe, comforting her slightly shaking body.  
  
She looked at the sampling of bath mixtures for a small bamboo basket. They varied in flavors: from the locals fruits such as strawberries and coconuts, to other exotics like juniper and lavender. She noticed a couple of exquisite crystal bottled concoctions, simply labeled 'Sheik's Reserve.' Curious, Filia picked up the bottle and removed the glass top, exposing the scent to her nose.  
  
"My Cepheid! This stuff smells like the rotting seaweed!" she muttered. Her thoughts reminded her that the Sheik was a fishman. "This stuff must really attract the minnows!" With a sense of urgency, she placed the special reserve back into its corner location. No way, she thought, was the Sheik's horny pheromones going to be on her body.  
  
The blond picked a couple of the other bath mixtures from some of the more casual looking items. No use in taking any more chances with the weird shampoos. The blond quickly continued on inward to the indoor spring.  
  
The large onsen took most of the larger squarish room. The rough stonewalls were a jigsaw of roughly cut marble and granite. The water was steaming beautifully, slightly white from the churning of minerals within its depths, as it eroded away the natural rocks. Indeed, it looked quite inviting to enter. After taking a look back, Filia disrobed and quickly dipped into the steaming water.   
  
"Ahhh…" She leaned back onto a towel on the edge of the pool stretching her body out. In her rush, she had skipped the washing part, preferring to dive right into the onsen. Yea, like that would matter…  
  
Filia closed her eyes, letting the soothing hot water circulate around her body in the most soothing of manners. It was almost like sea the chaos was underneath her great weight, softening her on the most comfortable of journeys. Maybe, just maybe, there was something about this human shape that pleased her after all…  
  
A stir of water to the right of her focused her attention back to reality. She crept her eyes open a bit, surprised by the visitor. A young maiden was settling into the water opposite of Filia, her purplish hair was mostly wrapped around her neck and chin, hiding her face.  
  
"Ummm…Sylphiel?" Filia arched her neck upward to see who she was, feeling out with her magic senses on who it was.   
  
"…Uh no!" The voice was feminine, very polite and noble. In fact, a bit too polite…  
  
Strange, it didn't feel like a human at all, she told herself. In fact, it was a very familiar feeling, like deja vu. And as soon as it started goose bumps ran down the back of her neck. Filia felt it on the tips of her fingers and toes, as her once hidden tail shot right out of the water like a periscope.  
  
"XELLOS!"   
  
"Anno…"  
  
Her mace was lying right next to the pool, as if it had an 'in case of emergency tag' attached for such use. In one swoop, the dragon lady picked up the very mace and with the same motion, smacked the Xellos in drag squarely in the face. The trickster priest had a glass chin all right, he was quite unready for the assault. Xellos sank like a rock into the steamy water, hitting his head on bottom of the onsen with a loud thud.   
  
He emerged out of the water a second later, splashing around a bit. "That could be painful…if I had felt it…" He was out of his cross dressing look but in simple purple swimming trunks, soaking on his back like a little school kid. So content, that he was gurgling a little bit of water out of his mouth like a fountain, with a look of bemusement on his face.  
  
"You think this is funny!" Filia was about to transform into dragon mode right there when she looked up for clearance; the short ceiling in the room would have most certainly caused damage to the palace. She thought a second about transforming back into her clothes, but the onsen would ruin her human threads. She cursed, diving her body back up to her neck in the steaming water.   
  
"You filthy namagomi! Don't you have someone else to bother?"   
  
Xellos leaned his head back next to the edge of the wading pool by Filia. "Me? I wasn't the one who needed help earlier today. Am I right?"  
  
"Baka!" The dragon blushed a deep red, sidestepping the Mazoku's question. "Get out of here, now!"  
  
Xellos turned his head toward Filia. "I can't do that right now, little miss dragon. You see, I still don't know your part is in all this." He grinned a happy smile. "You know, the part about leading Lina on falsely about the Cloudminders. Do tell."  
  
Filia's face didn't change for one bit, as she pointed out at the open doorway. "That is enough! You have done nothing except make my life miserable. Following us down here, for Pete's sake." She turned her back at Xellos. "Don't you have some humans to scare up and feed on?"  
  
It was trickster's turn to ignore Filia. "My dear dragon, can I ask you…a personal question?"  
  
"Go right ahead. It doesn't mean I'm going to answer it." She turned her nose up, as if ignoring the purple priest.  
  
Xellos popped in to right behind Filia's ear for a close look. She could feel his presence on the back of her neck, but didn't dare turn around and face the monster.  
  
"Tell me…how is little Valgaav holding up? You're such a kind and caring…dragon." Xellos added a little oomph that made Filia's mouth go dry. "For I can't fathom why you would travel down here while leaving your precious one in the hands of someone else." He turned his head so Filia could catch a look. "And I right? Hmmm?"  
  
The blond turned white as newly fallen snow. "You are…incorrigible! Inhuman to a fault!"  
  
"Why, thank you!" The mysterious priest was enjoying every minute of his interrogation, as he skimmed the water in front of Filia on his back. "So, I am right after all. About…you intentions?"  
  
She bit down on her lip, resisting to swipe uselessly at the Mazoku. Frustration flourished in the pit of her stomach, the pain bellowing up like a bad meal. "You have no right to…interfere, before. I could have handled Lina on my own."  
  
"Now you're a liar, Filia. I had to intercede earlier today, just in case." The Mazoku flicked his hand on the top of the water skimming it a bit, turning away from the dragon. "We can't have Lina interrupting the party once the Cloudminders show up."  
  
Filia turned her head at the Mazoku. "If you're expecting me to say thank you, forget it."  
  
"Yes, I know." The mysterious priest stepped out of the onsen and grabbed a towel to dry off. Filia could see that his body was perfect from the waist up; his purple shorts hid some of his magnificently toned lower body. "But I didn't do it for you."   
  
"…" Filia just stood there, agape at the mysterious priest's words.   
  
"I did it, because…that's a secret." Xellos was enjoying every minute. "Just remember, Filia. When the moment is there…you will know what to do." And at that, he winked and disappeared.  
  
Filia stared at where Xellos had stood, waiting for the answers to appear in her mind. Violated. Used as a tool, a pawn in a game that she no wanted no part of.   
  
Still, the repercussions…Valgaav…  
  
No! Thought Filia, she would not give in to those who defied her right for peace and happiness. The pain that came with fulfilling her task at hand was indeed great, but that pain was a small price to pay for long-term tranquility. In the end, it might come down to a single decision.   
  
For now, Filia hoped the path she was made now was for the right choice. She hoped.  
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
The precious library and laboratory of Maximilian. Stark could be the number one way the wizard liked his private tower, the spire that presided over the Sheik's city. It had a brightly lit interior, with walls whitewashed and covered with tanned and faded tapestries of the time. The usual collection of glass jars and bottles ran on shelves behind him, all stacked along the back of a laboratory bench. He looked out a window and could see that his little apartment of power did indeed dwarf most of the city except for the golden domed Forbidden Palace.   
  
Above his lab level in the tower, was another floor of iron staircases and walkways. The tower walls at this level were lined with many ancient wizard texts -- however impressive the collection looked, it was not all that remarkable. For Maximilian was a superior wizard at best, his level not extraordinary but more than adequate for Regent to the Sheik's city.   
  
But the real prize of the wizard's collection was in the center of the upper level, his real study and love. Iron walkways from all sides led to a center table, shielded by some of Maximilian's best protection spells. On one side of the table was an unmistakable pair of chaos stones. Natural light reflected through these fine quartz-like jewels, clearly translucent against the iron table, their value immeasurable.   
  
To the other side of the iron table was a set of five chaos boxes; extinguished and not at all active like other chaos boxes that Lina and her companions had seen. But the collection of these chaos boxes ranged from a large two foot model to one as small as the chaos stone itself. And in the back, was a sixth chaos box, engraved ever so more delicately. Instead of the normal box, it was more tubular with a handle, and a set of levers. This was the prize of Maximilian's collection.  
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
Maximilian certainly dressed the part of a wizard -- a simple quarterstaff of ironwood, a tan robe that matched his grayish slick-backed hair that had once been black. He was neither young nor old by other standards.  
  
One item of normality he refused to wear was a wizard's cap, for the hot sun would have certainly melted the silken hat right off his head. He relied on the simplicity of a straw hat, the brim was almost as wide as his shoulders. It looked silly even to the Sheik, but the huge hat protected his head from the fiercest of desert conditions.   
  
The Regent was not admiring his favorite collection, but was thumbing his fingers through his many shelves of spell books. For such a knowledgeable wizard and brother to Kerchef, the older man was a forgetful soul, never finding the proper spell book at the right time.   
  
"Hmmm…" he pondered, "now where was that book of protection go…" as he leafed through a row of manuscripts that were more like pamphlets. A sudden urge came over him to look up from his crouched position, taking a second to look over his shoulder. The wizard could just make out the outline of a human, standing over his protected chaos collection.  
  
"Hey! You there!" Maximilian shot up like a rabbit, scampering over to the stranger. Shock turned to surprise at the stranger who invaded his sanctuary, nevertheless Maximilian didn't attack on sight.  
  
"Do you know who I am?" boomed the stranger, his red eyes not on Maximilian but on his chaos boxes.  
  
The wizard was able to say something when the stranger threw up his open hand in response. "Don't say a word, my friend. If you were to answer, it will be your last." Maximilian took an abrupt step backwards, watching the stranger lower himself so his eyes were level with the chaos stones. "Your collection is quite impressive. Many of times how I wished these items were not loose. They have become more than an annoyance."  
  
"Then you know of chaos stones?" asked Maximilian.  
  
The stranger looked up, annoyed, "Yes I do. They are thorns, causing all of us to bleed one time or another. The tools that they can create are nothing more than an abomination. They were created for one reason -- as a weapon, specifically programmed to destroy Mazoku."  
  
"They can be used for that," answered the wizard. "But, I suppose-"  
  
The ruby-red eyes looked angrily up at the Sheik's Regent. "Be quiet."  
  
"Hai…" The wizard tried to say something else but was cut off.  
  
"Then you are a fool." The stranger shuffled around the display of chaos stones and boxes, ever so closer to the wizard. "Now listen to me very carefully, for I have something that you must do, Maximilian. And remember, your very life is in my hands…"   
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
"Lina! Are you almost ready?" said Sylphiel.  
  
Filia was helping Sylphiel pin a lovely corsage of light blue and white flowers on her chest. "Now, stay still. This should hold the arrangement in place."   
  
Each of the Sheik's guests was required to attend in proper attire for this evening's formal banquet. Most guests were nobles already, wealthy enough to afford the most lavish of eveningwear. Luckily, as guests of the kingdom, the Sheik insisted on footing the tab for the ladies attire for the evening. Kerchef had made sure that Lina and company had been personally taken care of by the city's finest tailors. The royal jeweler came later, supplying them with priceless silver and gold accessories from the Sheik's very own private collection.   
  
Sylphiel's choices matched her demeanor, as she picked out an exquisite dark blue silk patterned with the light outline of desert wildflowers. Based on the shrine maiden's choice in materials, the royal tailors knitted an exquisite full-length dress. The neckline was extremely high, almost like a collar, its edges beaded with silver. A set of the same silver beading ran down like buttons on a faux jacket front to the waist, where the dress was slightly pleated showing a bit of leg. The arms were made from more of the same silk, but the same flower pattern was stamped out and replaced with fine black chiffon. The arms and wrists were also decorated with the matching silver beadwork. A new silver hairpiece tied the dress together, decorated with a row of silver beads, their elegant hanging tear shapes sparkled with diamond dust.   
  
"Please, be careful," said Sylphiel, "I don't want to put too many holes in this lovely new dress."   
  
"Nonsense, the Sheik will understand a hole or two. After all, he did send us these corsages as well."  
  
When the royal tailors came before, Filia was overwhelmed with the sheer choices of silk, each bolt presented was finer than the one before as each sample was more and more translucent in the light. "Bring me something special," she asked, time and time again. Finally, the tailors presented Filia a sample of silk from the most revered bolts of in all the kingdom ever to be produced. This was the essence of it, for Filia was delighted with such of choice.  
  
Her dress was layers and layers of the whitest of silk, its surface inlayed with the finest crisscrossing of golden thread. The neckline plunged to an elegant level, keeping most of the dress just covering the shoulder. The waist was tied in more of the same, the bottom was laced like spider web in more layers of the golden thread; until the very bottom of the dress was entirely gold. Finally, her arms were wrapped in the same silk, slit vertically and joined by small pearl fasteners.   
  
The blond dragon had also removed her large globe earrings for the evening, choosing to wear a set of the largest diamond earrings ever seen. Her hair up, kept back by single ring of a freshwater pearl on the hairpiece.   
  
"I can't believe how well of a job the royal tailors did with these outfits. Its as if they knew of our exact personalities," said Filia. The two ladies had switched jobs, now it was Sylphiel pinning a corsage onto Filia's chest.  
  
"Hai, you're telling me…now for Lina."   
  
As if on queue, the door to Lina's bedroom opened. "Well, that was easy!" said the sorcerer. "I sure made quick work of those boys for them!" The sorcerer was dusting her hands as if polishing off a tasty meal.  
  
"Wha??" spoke up Filia. The shrine ladies didn't understand what Lina was talking about. But their eyes did the walking, for both of the shrine maidens were suddenly quite upset. "Kerchef is going to be here in less than fifteen minutes, and you're not even dressed for tonight!"  
  
"So! Its not like I wanted to play dress up in front of the fishman and friends!" Behind her still on a display hanger was Lina's elegant forest-green cocktail dress. Earlier that day, Filia had made Lina pick out a single bolt of fabric for the base of her eveningwear.   
  
"Are you sure you want that color?" asked Filia before, when Lina had her hands on that nasty green bolt of silk. "Its rather gaudy, I would think." The dragon tugged out a pink sample from the bottom of Lina's rejection pile, just to make sure. "I still think this matches so well, Lina. It would look so beautiful on you…"  
  
"Are you kidding me?" shuddered Lina. Pink. Anything but pink. Still, thinking that the darkest and ugliest of colors could never be made into an elegant dress, Lina didn't think of the consequences as she picked the gaudy green…  
  
This time, Lina Inverse was proven wrong. Up to the finest of challenge, the royal tailors even surprised themselves, designing a dress that matched Lina Inverse's personally as well as her lack of bodily shape. The top of the green dress was designed to sash across her chest, adding to the region where needed. The asymmetrical outfit bared her left shoulder, tied by a broach of gold and emeralds. The velvety-silken fabric continued in folds farther down, laced with beaded emeralds and then an occasional ruby.   
  
"I'm not wearing that…thing!" said the sorcerer, pointing to the dress as if it were the second coming of Shabranigudo. "Its hideous! Horrible! And the worse thing…is that it squishes my chest!"  
  
"Lina!"   
  
"But it's unnatural! I don't look like that! No matter what the Sheik's tailors say, the built in bra-thing in that…thing pushes my breast together!"  
  
The shrine ladies sweat dropped.  
  
There was a knock at the parlor door as Kerchef let himself in. "Evening ladies." He politely bowed and flashed a bit of a smile. "Its time for tonight's…" The captain looked over at Lina, still in her sorcerer's outfit. At least her cape was clean. "Ms. Inverse, I am afraid that you are not dressed correctly for this evening's function. I must insist that you change into the eveningwear that we have supplied according to your wishes, otherwise-"  
  
A knot of anger appeared over Lina's face, the sorcerer was not used to taking orders. "Let me tell you something, Kerchef. If you think I'm going to get into that…getup!" As she moved a step forward toward Kerchef, each of the shrine maidens grabbed the redhead by her arms, dragging the poor girl back into her own bedroom   
  
"Hey!" said Lina, struggling to get free. "What you do think you're doing!"  
  
The ladies expression could melt ice. "You can't guess?" answered Filia, not even looking down at Lina.  
  
"Now, Lina. This is for your own good…" added Sylphiel.  
  
"Wait a minute! You can't make me wear that thing!" The door behind them slammed closed, leaving a mumbling Kerchef alone in the drawing room, waiting to complete his escorting duties.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
The Sheik's kitchen, another one of the many crown jewels of the Sheik, was situated in the basement of the Forbidden Palace. Always a very busy place, many a cooks were prepping dishes for this evening's banquet. The selection was heavily seafood: plenty of fish, lobster and crab dishes, as well as octopus and squid selections as well as rarer ones like eel and sea urchin.   
  
The kitchen manager's job was to manage the outgoing platters for each meal. He current task was gathering the silver chafing dishes at his station when the Regent entered the kitchen, sneakily via the back entrance.  
  
"Ahhh, Maximilian," said the manager, "Are you taking your evening meal in your tower tonight, or joining everyone for tonight's banquet? It has been some time since the Sheik has spared no expense for such an affair."  
  
The wizard looked around the kitchen, examining the lavishness of the preparations. The sights made his mouth water. "I shall be attending tonight's ceremony. Have you set aside the Sheik's private reserve of wine for tonight's guest?"  
  
"Yes, my Regent. The marked bottles have been prepped to your specification." He pointed over to a set of the wine barrels in the far corner of the kitchen. "So, my guess is that we are in need more 'members' to our family."  
  
Maximilian ignored the kitchen manager, examining the wine bottles for himself. "You," said the wizard, snapping his fingers for one of the Sheik's lowly servants.   
  
The poor chap was small fellow in his serving uniform, with straight purple hair that covered most of his facial features. Other than that, the servant was nondescript save for his out of place tan shoes.  
  
"Come over here." Maximilian poured the marked bottle of wine into a crystal decanter for serving. "Serve this at the proper time to the Sheik and his guests, immediately after they sit down and not to anyone else. Do you understand?"  
  
The servant nodded at the Regent's orders and swiftly left towards the exit door right behind the wizard.   
  
"Hey," said the manger of the kitchen, calling over his server before he could leave. The kitchen manager looked over the servant from top to bottom, an inspection of sorts. "I don't remember hiring you as a staff member. Who hired you, my friend?"  
  
The servant refused to look directly at his boss. "Kerchef, just yesterday. A few other staff members got sick last night, so I'm filling in. Didn't you get the memo?"  
  
"No, but then servants do seem to come and go as they please," said the manager. "Getting drunk on their savings." He sighed. "Oh, one thing about working here. Where did you get those shoes? They are not part of the standard black shirt-tie-pants uniform that you are required to wear."   
  
"Hai, I will change."  
  
"Anno, but where did you get those shoes?" said the kitchen manager. "They look so…comfortable."  
  
"Uhhh," the servant sweat dropped, "That…is a secret. Excuse me."   
  
Before the kitchen manager could ask another question, a stack of dishes smashed to the ground. The pasty manager scurried over to the damage. That's when he noticed the mysterious servant from earlier was gone with the decanter of wine. "Who cares, I got enough problems…"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Xellos appeared on the other side of the kitchen doors, wine decanter and empty wine glass on his waiter's tray. The mysterious priest quickly poured himself a small serving and downed the spirit in one gulp.  
  
"Oh my… he commented, "this will never do. I would hate to see you with such pale complexions." He reached into his bag and took out a couple of crystals, dropping them into the decanter, dissolving on contact with the alcohol. He poured himself a larger taste and downed the wine again.  
  
"Much better," said Xellos, "I could possibly enjoy this if I needed to…" He sat the empty wine glass down.   
  
*hic*  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Isn't this wonderful!" said Filia, as she was sashaying across the marble floor.   
  
"You're telling me," answered Sylphiel, her eyes glazed over in awe. "Never have I seen such an elegant evening setting. Have you been to anything like this, Filia?"  
  
"Many times at my old home. But I do think you humans are getting the hang of it."  
  
The two ladies split, opening the way for Lina to step up between them. The sorcerer frowned, her pose showed she was embarrassed by her attire, showing off body and skin alike. "I just want this evening to get this over with, OK? Maybe I can take a platter of sashimi back to my room…"  
  
They were back under the Forbidden Palace, the giant empty dome having been transformed into the evening's ballroom with such spender that could only match the Shinzoku. In one corner, a small orchestra of strings and winds played soft quiet chamber music. Underneath the stage, couples danced to their soothing rhythms. To the other side was seating; a giant half circle table for seating for over fifty guests -- of nobles and their wives as well as fishman and fishwoman. Everyone was dressed with such an abundance of wealth, from jewelry encrusted with so many stones that the floor just sparkled, to the finest silken eveningwear of its time.   
  
"You know, there's something strange I can't seem to point out…" Lina looked at the noble crowd for a second, watching as a noble-dressed man danced with a fishlady, next to a fishman who was with a stunning human woman.  
  
"I think, it's because everyone is a mixed couple!" pointed of Sylphiel.   
  
"Oh my Cepheid, that's just…!" exclaimed Filia.   
  
The Sheik came forward to greet his blushing guests. "I'm surprised you didn't see it before," said Uzumara, stroking his chin with his human-like limb. "This is quite understandable of our unique society."  
  
"You've explained," answered Lina, "how your city survives. Your most trusted leaders and nobles here, marry their very opposites -- where sea meets land." She straitened her garb for a second, quite uncomfortable in her dress. "I've heard of such situations before, where one member of the relationship is a is fishperson and one member is human. But I never seen an entire society based on it."  
  
"You will learn much, Lina," said the Sheik, "about this land." He picked up a cocktail from a server, a drink that Lina thought looked like clam juice. "I know a great deal, in fact. I already know of your quest in search of the Cloudminders., for the Regent has told me so. And about other things…like how that dress looks good on you."  
  
Lina blushed.  
  
A large gong sounded that the banquet was to have begun, getting everyone to sit down at the tables. Kerchef escorted the ladies to a set of chairs to the left of the Sheik, with Lina right smack between Uzumara and Filia, and Sylphiel and the captain were on the opposite side of the crescent-shaped table.  
  
"Ahhh, Lina," said the Sheik, "May I also introduce you to the Regent and Wizard of my kingdom, Maximilian."  
  
The wizard bowed and sat down at the empty seat to the opposite diagonal of Lina. "The tales of your exploits are world famous, Lina Inverse. I do hope you can share some of those stories."  
  
"Hai…" A bit embarrassed, Lina made a grab for the first tray of hors d'oeuvres. The serving tray was placed right in front of her, steaming away. She took more than half of the lobster with truffle sauce for herself and dug right in.   
  
The Sheik blinked as he watched the redhead consume the mass quantities, the most expensive of foods from his lands.   
  
"You know…" said Kerchef, leaning across the table for Lina to hear, "there's plenty of food in the kitchen. I'm very sure that you won't be going hungry after this meal."  
  
"You…sure?" Lina popped another large forkful of food into her mouth, almost inhaling it as if she were the sea of chaos herself. "I've been to plenty of dinners in my time; I've seen quite a few run out of food." She popped a couple of giant shrimp into her mouth like they were candy. "Besides, it's a free meal for me, right?"  
  
Kerchef straightened in his chair. "Hai. I'll be sure to make a note of that in my log…"  
  
Lina didn't bat an eye, turning her attention to the Sheik. "So, Uzumara? What can you tell me about that Turnip fellow who stopped by here? You know, within the last month or two? What can you tell me you traded to Turnip, anyway?"  
  
"Not much," answered Uzumara, "some maps, a few semi-precious trinkets." He was intrigued by Lina's question. "Not that it matters actually, for I believe you have already taken care of him."  
  
"I have?" The sorcerer looked down at Maximilian, who was shaking his head with an affirmative yes. The sorcerer continued her statement with the wizard staring her down. "Besides that point, Turnip had a magical item in his possession before his demise. I have been told that he acquired the artifact from here, your city."  
  
"No, not possible," said the wizard, "We have no use for such chaos items."  
  
Maximilian nodded his head toward Kerchef a bit. The sorcerer barely noticed the nod out from the corner of her eye, only because she was directly across from the two of them. Nevertheless, Lina didn't say a word about it, for it seemed that Maximilian was rather disgusted, trying to blow off the whole matter.   
  
"If you will excuse me, Lina…your highness." The Regent left the table unceremoniously, leaving his linen napkin crumpled over his unfinished meal.   
  
"Well, that was strange," muttered Lina before diverting her attention back to the table. She had pressed the issue, trying catch if someone knew. But she didn't think the Sheik knew…but it was Maximilian, thought Lina that had slipped ever so slightly. She never mentioned that Turnip had acquired the power of over chaos. No, it was the Regent that had spilled the beans on his own…rather smugly, in fact.  
  
The sorcerer sighed as more silver platters of meats and their trimmings were placed on the table. Lina didn't wait one second to fill up her dinner plate with more seafood delectable.  
  
"More wine?" From underneath a collection of nondescript hair was the interrupting sound of a waiter's polite voice. Lina would have missed it if he wasn't so forceful with the offer for drink.  
  
"Yea, sure…" nodded Lina, as the servant of the Sheik poured her some wine.  
  
Lina was too busy washing the second course down with spirits to say anything to the server. When she finished, Lina let out a giant sigh of refreshment, sprawling over her armchair. "That was…so good!" The sorcerer blinked, surprised that the waiter had left her side so quickly.  
  
"Some wine, miss?" asked the waiter, this time to Filia. The server was already lazily holding the crystal decanter next to the dragon's glass, for he was quite distracted by Filia's extravagant choice of evening wear.   
  
"Hai…" said Filia, as a sudden bolt of awareness struck her dumb. Just like before, her tail went up like an antenna as her eyes opened as wide as saucers, looking around the room for her nemesis.   
  
"Xellos," she muttered. "Where are you?" The pink-bow wrapped tail went up so quickly that even our mysterious waiter was surprised. The poor Mazoku lost his handle on the decanter, shattering the crystal wine holder on the ground. He was quite lucky that the blond had overlooked his servitude as he tiptoed away from the party.   
  
"Filia," said Sylphiel, looking up from the table. She was politely motioning with her hands to calm the dragon. "Sit down, you're embarrassing us in front of the Sheik."  
  
The blond sweat dropped, composing herself. To her, maybe it was a sudden aftershock reaction. "Ummm, of course…"  
  
The Sheik was not amused however by the actions of his servant, a distraction from his guests. Other men of the Sheik cleaned up the mess within seconds. Nevertheless, Uzumara didn't let the little matter bother him as he reached into the air with his hands and clapped four times.  
  
"…His royal Sheik requests for entertainment!"   
  
''……amusement for the Golden Dome!"  
  
The far doors swung open, pouring magical white smoke out onto the common floor, as a roar of thunder crashed into the room. Lina nearly jumped unexpectedly out her chair, expecting the worse.   
  
Two identical figures swirled batons through the fog, shooting off an impressive display of light spells throughout the dome. The Sheik's audience loved every moment, oooh'ing and aaah'ing at the theatrical display.   
  
Lina however, frowned at the distraction. "Get ready…" she said, clearly itching for a fight as she turned her hands upward…   
  
"Lina!" said Sylphiel, calming her jumpy companion. "I don't suppose you could calm down a second, hmm?" She pointed out into the excited audience. "Can't you see that the guests of the Sheik are clearly petrified?"  
  
The sorcerer sagged under her own weight. "Well, I was expecting more of a…well, you know…" Lina failed to grasp a conclusion, a real nor fake one. "…Who am I kidding!" She fell back into her seat, crossing her arms in protest. "I'm always going to live up to my potential, aren't I?" she said, as if waiting for the hidden performers to show themselves.   
  
The two figures were of the same build, spinning their batons to and fro like trained elitist, blowing smoke and fire around in patterns of light and dark. As they spun their wooden poles, their staged entrance finally cleared away, revealing themselves as their staged entrance cleared away. And their identity only made Lina's mind boggle.  
  
"Nene!" shouted Lina, again standing up from her seat.  
  
The twin brunette stopped her routine in mid stride, almost dropping her still-spinning showpiece. "Lina?" she said, lowering her guard for the tiniest of seconds.   
  
*WAP*  
  
Mime, quite unaware that her twin had stopped in the most crucial moments of the routine, knocked the end of her own baton right into the back of her sister's head. Nene fell like a sack of potatoes to the ground, knocked out by the blow.  
  
"Hey! Why were you just standing…" Mime's words trailed off as she looked up at Lina, waving with her fingers in a wave, in the sorry manner that could only be described as 'oops, I screwed up…'  
  
The Sheik and the audience were dumbstruck by the twin's performance blunders, unaccustomed to their clumsiness.   
  
Mime stopped the show from continuing with a wave of her arm. She was quickly down on the ground, cradling her sister's unconscious head in her lap. "Nene! Nene! Wake up! Your sister is really sorry, I swear…"  
  
Lina chuckled. "Well, its not all the time I stop the show."   
  
"Enough!" Uzumara clapped his hands again, scattering the servants from the great hall.   
  
Kerchef stood up from his seat, addressing the audience. "Entertainment for this evening is over. The Sheik has determined that it is time for our guest for this evening to submit to the sentence."  
  
"Sentence?" Lina looked at the royal captain, remembering it all. "I thought that you were going to forget about that measly little sentence…" She walked around and pleaded her case to the audience. "And why me? Its not like I've done something wrong!"   
  
"Nonsense," said the captain of the guards. "You have drunk from the waters of the mortality. For that reason, we must enforce sentence on you…"  
  
Lina stuck her chin out. "You know, you're finally pissing me off. If you're going to do something about it, it had better be soon." She cracked her knuckles in delight, rolling up her sleeves on her green evening dress. "I could use a little bit of a burn-off after eating that lovely dinner of yours."  
  
The other nobles seated at their chairs were nearly on the edges of the their seats. Yes, they wanted to run away for of sanity, for they've heard so many of the terrible disasters of one Lina Inverse. But they didn't dare miss the excitement, for the whole scene had been the most compelling tests in years…  
  
Kerchef raised his voice. "And now, as you all know, the sentence for drinking the waters of mortality is that you shall a become a fishwoman. When the first rays of sun shine on your soul this very next morning, Cepheid's will shall have you transformed!"   
  
"Are you kidding me!" Lina gasped. "You couldn't just get it over and try to kill me, It sure would have been a lot easier!"  
  
Uzumara stood up from his chair, enjoying every minute of the public interrogation. "I wouldn't have the chance of seeing you as a lovely fishwoman! Yes, it's because you have such temper -- that fiery hair, those eyes that I just want to loose myself in. This transformation is by my order. For afterwards, you shall become my wife!"   
  
Lina froze like a statue. "…w….wii…wife?"  
  
The Sheik leaned back onto his hind legs and laughed. "That's the thing! You have no choice! Already cursed by the waters of mortality. Waters that won't kill you, but turn you into one of me!" Uzumara stoked his belly in sheer amusement as he chuckled onward.  
  
"Why you…!" Lina's temper quickly escalated to match the flame of her hair. "You really asked for it, Sheik." She took her sweet time, making sure her dress was not ruined by the massive amount of spells she was about to cast.   
  
But Uzumara was undeterred by Lina's actions. He tugged at his waist as he brought a small vial of bluish liquid to light. "Its quite simple, actually. Attack me and you destroy the cure to your fishdom. No, I suppose even you aren't that foolish, Lina."  
  
The sorcerer paused. "OK, let's suppose that is the cure to my affliction. Its also very possible that my shrine ladies friends here could easily remove the poison from my body."  
  
"If you're so sure, then give it a try." The Sheik hid the liquid around his waist. "I don't know it would work, for very few of us from outside of the barrier have that power. However, if you are up to the challenge, I shall give you a chance to regain your freedom from fishdom, so to speak."   
  
Uzumara drew his arms out. "Look among the audience, Lina Inverse. Many of my nobles have lost their husbands and wives to the curse, becoming mixed couples. Many in their lifetimes tried, all have failed. "  
  
"Why…you… "  
  
"They spend the rest of their lives, splitting time between the Ocean and the Sheik's city below. But their life is fruitful and peaceful. Since their family is under my hospitality, they enjoy many of the treasures of this rich city. And so shall you."  
  
"Under your control," said Lina. "Some of them look happy and maybe they are. But their families are here and they are there, and so forth. I would never wish that on anybody." She turned back to the audience. "You all want your freedom, don't you? From the Sheik and his rule?"  
  
The audience whispered among themselves. Their ebbing conversations began to get rowdy. "We want our freedom!" they jeered. "We want to leave this place!"   
  
Lina turned back the Sheik. "If I win, then all of them are free. If you win, I get to play wife and live by your side. Got that?"  
  
Uzumara took a step backwards, unsure what to do. If Lina did pass the pass, it would most certainly mean upheaval in his kingdom. The real secret of fish and men would be out. The city, in all its glory, would be susceptible to raiders of all kinds.   
  
But he looks at the sorcerer and wanted her, deeply. The cost however… The cost was just too high. Never before had he been so attracted to such a figure. He was sure that even gaining the power of one Lina Inverse would-  
  
As he was about to say his words, when the Sheik saw Maximilian peeking his head through the satin curtains. For such a strange occurrence, the Regent looked rather satisfied. Uzumara saw his brother-in-law wave his hand in affirmation, for the Sheik knew now that everything was set…   
  
"Very well. I accept your offer." The Sheik motioned to the velvet curtains, signaling Maximilian to entered the center area. The crowd hushed with anticipation.  
  
"You have two choices," said Maximilian. "They are the challenges we offer. The task of strength gauges how strong your physical body is. On the other hand, the task of wisdom tests the very strength of your mind."  
  
"Oh Lina," said Nene, conscience from the earlier accident. The two twins were huddled next to Filia and Sylphiel, wondering what else was to happen. "Take the task of wisdom!"   
  
"No one has been able to pass the test," said Mime, "It's the test of strength that we have seen before."  
  
Lina nodded. "That's great, because I'm up for the mental challenge!" She turned back to the wizard, ready as ever. "Give me the task of wisdom!"  
  
Maximilian pointed out to the Sheik's men, as they rolled out the covered display. "Our guest tonight has chosen to take the task of wisdom, one that is regarded as the test of spell craft." The wizard paraded around the room as if displaying cue card for a boxing round. "Please be mindful that she is our guest tonight. No throwing of tomatoes. No calling of seafood. Mindful of your manners, everyone." The Sheik's nobles jeered a bit at the wizard's announcement. They were interested in the results, but also the audience was aware of the upcoming spectaculars.   
  
Lina took the step back. For such a calm and delightful formal affair, it was as if tigers were coming to visit and she was the fresh meat. Never had she'd seen an audience change their composure so quickly. Clearly, they did not feel her sacrifice was in vain.   
  
The Sheik's men worked quickly, uncovering a globular target of black stone on a stand of wrought iron. The target was close to four or five feet high, but only a couple of feet around on each side. Its surface had once been polished, was a mess of sword scratches and melted in other areas via the power of magic. The interlaced iron stand held the giant target like an egg in a nest; all of it was bolted down to a small wooden rolling platform.   
  
"Please be careful, Lina," said Mime, watching the setup. "We been here for several times and no one has been able to pass the task of strength. I'm sure that the test of wisdom will be a lot easier…" An expression of bewilderment came across her face as she poked her twin. "Nene, isn't that the same block as last week?"  
  
"Why, I do think so. You don't suppose that the task are the same, do you?"  
  
Lina wiped the sweat from her forehead. "You bakas!" she yelled.  
  
Uzumara chuckled. "My, my, it does seem that the tasks are the same. You are quite correct, Nene. But even relaying that information to Lina will not help her at all!"  
  
"The target is ready and awaits," said Maximilian. "You have ten minutes to shatter or slice stone in half." A hollow gong went off in the distance. "Your time begins…now!"   
  
Lina stepped out into the center of the room. "None of that matters, Regent, it's a piece of cake." She walked around all sides of the globe of stone, admiring its solid structure. The sorcerer then flipped her hair back over and winked, readying herself. "Oh well, here goes nothing…"  
  
*Fireball!*  
  
She shot the ball of flamed energy from her hand right, smack dab at point-blank range into the stone target. The room exploded into a fiery cloud of flame and dust. Nobles and their wives ducked for cover underneath their tables, hiding in fear.  
  
"What in Cepheid is she doing?" said Kerchef, hiding underneath his chair. "The Sheik isn't going to like the redecorating costs of his dome." He looked over at the far wall where gold leaf had melted off into puddles on the ground.  
  
"Oh, she's just warming up," said Filia. "Does this all the time, in fact. Just a few days ago, there was this very large and old bridge north of here. I believe it was The Bridge of the Ancients."  
  
Kerchef looked dumbstruck. "Was? But that bridge has been there for eons! It's the only passage that goes north towards the mainland." It was obvious that the bridge was already gone.  
  
Lina looked that the stone target and smiled. "Warm-up time is over. I just didn't want you to be such a pushover…."  
  
"…Fire torments inside; pushes in the light…comes forth to my hand; which burns with frightening rage!"  
  
*Zelas Cannon!*  
  
The immense beam of energy and fire struck the circular's midsection, its crackling sound reverberating throughout the dome. It encircled the globe and attacked it brutally in a wave of fire.   
  
A few of the closest tables caught on fire from the intense blast, the servants of the Sheik were there quickly to extinguish it. The smoke cleared just as fast; for Lina was not surprised when the target reappeared, unblemished as ever.  
  
A gong sounded. "You have three minutes remaining," droned Maximilian.  
  
"No more miss nice girl," Lina's eyebrows arched in concentration as she spoke the chaos words off the tip of her tongue. She needed something that was going to cut, more than reality itself. She needed the power of monsters and gods alike.  
  
"…You, who is part of the king of nightmare; You who is released from universe; A freezing black blade of darkness…Be my power, be my arm; Together we walk on the path of destruction; Crashing down the souls of Gods!"  
  
*Ragna Blade!!*  
  
The sword of chaos, the power of the Lord of Nightmares, crackled in Lina's outstretched hands. Maximilian had never seen such power within the grasp of human hands. It was as if all of everything was ready to strike the target down…  
  
Lina didn't hesitate for one second, running up to the target with candid ambition. She would not become a slave and wife to the fish Sheik. She was going to change history like so many times before, free the people of this city and the one below. She was going to destroy that target…or at least slice it in half.  
  
"AAAGGGHHH!!" She struck down through the black globe of stone with her spellcrafted weapon. There was no resistance, for such a meaningless target didn't have a chance. And before it had begin, it was over.  
  
Lina looked at her blade of chaos and then at the block of stone. At first, she couldn't figure it out. The target was untouched, just like before. In her hands, the chaos blade was a lot shorter now, as streams of energy warped around its cutting edge. She saw it flickering as if wind were blowing out its chaotic flame. No, she thought, how could I have been so naïve…as she traced the drifting energy back to the intended target...   
  
She looked into her hand, realizing that the Ragna Blade was still active in her hand. But the tiny weapon was disappearing fast, until it was a wee-little blade the size of Sylphiel's flare arrow. Before she could act, her blade disappeared right before her eyes.  
  
The gong sounded once again, its tune a death note to the contest. "You…you cheated!" Lina pointed up at the gleaming target, then at Maximilian. "There's a chaos box in there! I'm sure of it!"   
  
Lost was their freedom. The nobles did the next best thing by egging their insults onto Lina and her companions. "Fish! Fish! Fish!" they yelled. The audience was up and standing, cheering for the enchantment of the Sheik to begin right away.   
  
"Fish! Fish! Fish!"  
  
"No!!" Lina tried to run, but the audience around her was angry and upset. The nobles had dreamed for freedom for so long that they couldn't take loosing. Now that the sorcerer had not been unable to deliver, the crowd of nobles wanted blood.  
  
Wide-eyed, The sorcerer couldn't take it anymore. She would have collapsed onto the ground if Kerchef had not caught her in mid fall. With the many escorts of Kerchef and his men, the ladies left the banquet, with all the fanfare of running away from a beheading.  
  
And there was Uzumara, leaning back and laughing all the way.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Lina awoke up in the drawing room, from the plush couch that her and Sylphiel had lounged on before. She stirred up a second later, checking her body out for signs…of fins.  
  
"You're not a fish, Lina," said Sylphiel, next to her in the sofa. "I ran all sorts of white spells and such all over you, and I can find nothing in your system. You're going to be…all right."  
  
Lina let out a large sigh of relief. "You mean Uzumara and Maximilian were just putting me on? I'm not sure that I can believe that." She scanned around the room for a bit, looking for that shrine dragon. "Where's Filia?"  
  
"She went to the spa again," said Sylphiel. "I do swear she had the most frightened look on her face, white enough to scare a ghost. But never mind that, I've checked you out quite well and both of us ran a declarify spell on you. There's no poisoning."   
  
"Huh. That's good." Lina eyed the dessert chocolates on the coffee table in front of her, taking a few to munch on. She needed some self-indulging right away. "But didn't Uzumara say the spell was to happen in the morning?"  
  
"Hai. But Kerchef has posted guards all around out room," said Sylphiel. "It's not going to happen."  
  
"Then I have to wonder why they put me through that crazy stunt, just to tell me they have possession of a chaos box armed with its stone."  
  
Sylphiel nodded. "It doesn't make any sense."  
  
"No, it doesn't. The Sheik and Maximilian have been playing with us...but clearly, they want to tell us something as well…something about the power of chaos." Lina took out the chaos stone from her possession. "When their not armed within chaos boxes, the stones themselves are undetectable. Like this little baby." She admired the jewel against the candlelight. "We still haven't cracked the secret to these stone. There's almost nothing in the Aermark's journal about chaos boxes and stones, more like riddles to even bigger questions."   
  
Lina got up and walked into her bedroom, hastily returning with the journal she had retrieved from the depths of the Temple of the Water Dragon King. "See, right here? It's like he wrote directions to enter the City of the Clouds." She pointed to a central drawing of a tablet, with six holes around it in a circle with a larger diamond-shaped hole in the middle.   
  
"Hmmm?" Sylphiel leaned over closer to the sorcerer to take a look. "I don't understand how that could lead to the City of the Clouds. After all, can't you just 'Raywing' up there? From what we've heard, it just floats up there all ready to land upon."  
  
"Or so they say. Actually, I think there's some kind of barrier around the floating city. These directions and this drawing mention the entrance to the Cloudminders. If there's a door, then the rest must be blocked by some kind of wall. I'm very sure of that." The sorcerer pointed to one of the six smaller slots along the rim of the circle of cutouts. "You know, I think it fits…" She still had the chaos stone on the coffee table, as she started to eye what socket the stone was to go in where…  
  
Sylphiel yawned. "I can't take another minute being here, Lina. But alas, we can't do anything until the morning. How about we get some shuteye?" She looked into Filia's empty room, the dragon's bedroom door was wide open. "We each have our own rooms, so I'm sure there will be no problem if we're asleep."  
  
"I guess you're right." Lina stretched her arms over her head in the tired manner. "Just in case, I'm going to change out of this monkey dress before retiring. I want to be up-and-running if anything happens early tomorrow."  
  
"Hai…" The shrine maiden was already in her own room, readying for bed. "Night, Lina…"  
  
"Night, Sylphiel…" sighed the sorcerer.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Dreams are a funny thing, thought Lina. She was having that usual dream that she always had. Actually, it was more of a nightmare. A scary nightmare. A frightening story to tell your kids and grandchildren one day. OK, it was a nightmare to one Lina Inverse.  
  
There's our hero, feasting away on her dinner of roast beef, red potatoes, and corn in a quiet inn outside of Saillune. She was quick, making huge dents into the prime red meat, eating the medium sized potatoes by the whole, all while downing mountains of sweet corn with her fork. There was so much food…so much that a disaster began to happen…  
  
Leftovers.   
  
A half a slice of meat was still on her plates, as well as a couple of full potatoes. The corn on her plate…no it was growing on her plate, like its cousin popcorn.  
  
"But I'm not hungry!" she cried while being pushed away from the dinner table. If was as if her own body had said no more food. "But I think I can eat one more potato," she pleaded, "or maybe two…."  
  
"Nonsense!" said Biru. The stern old man was holding a threatening butcher's knife over his heart as it were a holy symbol. "It no longer matters that you were an entire rib of meat, a half-dozen potatoes and a plateau of corn away from finishing your meal. You are no longer a member!"  
  
"No!!" She looked up at the far wall, a silly little drawings of her and her friends. Gourry. Amelia. All members of the 'Clean Plate Club.' And all were revered as conquering heroes of their time.   
  
She looked back at her dinner plate, expecting to see her measly unfinished leftovers. Lo and behold to her surprise, was a full dinner plate of roast beef, potatoes, and corn, all looking rather untouched. "What the hell happened to all the food I ate?"  
  
"Nonsense," said the innkeeper. "Did you think you could at least touch the food, never mind fail the challenge to eat it all! You should be ashamed for wasting away all those calories like that!" She could see in the corner of her eye that one of Biru's servers was ripping her portrait away from the top spot on the wall, placing Amelia's picture in its place.  
  
"No! What are you doing! I ate it all! I swear!" Lina stared at the jam-packed plate of food while her full-stomach turned suddenly queasy. "Oh my…I think I'm going to…"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Lina," said Xellos, from right behind her ear. He waved his staff in front of the little redhead, changing the scenery.  
  
"Xellos! What a surprise!" Lina leaned back in surprise to find herself standing. "What just…happened."  
  
"Oh nothing…" smiled the mysterious priest, "a bad dream. The nasty type." He snickered. "It was great, really. Especially when the pies started attacking you for being so skinny."  
  
Lina stood there, her mouth agape. "Oh," said Xellos, "let's do get on with our little story time. Shall we?"   
  
A large puddle of water appeared in front of Lina and Xellos. To say it was a lake would have been an understatement. She immediately noticed the large vegetables soaking in the magical waters. The lake seemed to hold a special meaning to Lina, as she recognized it immediately.   
  
"The lake…but why?" she questioned. "I've already been here, I don't think it would have helped. Whoever told you about this…for when I see Naga again, I will surely-"  
  
Xellos held his open palms up in defense. "Easy there, Lina. I didn't mean to take you to this place. Your mind brought you here, not me." Xellos stared as a tiniest frog jumped into the water, coming out a second later a rather aged fellow. "After all, you remember these springs?"  
  
"If you turn me into an old woman, I will beat you the crap…"  
  
"Oh, I would never be so cruel."   
  
"Curse you, Xellos. What are you up to!"   
  
The purple haired one saw Lina light up with extreme prejudice. "That is…a secret. Perhaps you want to be a fishwoman after all…"  
  
She twisted around looking for the mysterious priest. But Xellos had left; in fact, the pond was gone as well.   
  
"Where am I now…that jerk…" The land was bare of civilization. She thought about Xellos trying to make his point again, and how it had better have been important. "Curses."   
  
She looked up into the sky at the high clouds, the setting sun, and stared once again. City of the Clouds, she said to herself, the city of that never revealed itself. She sighed, looking up at the city…   
  
The sorcerer felt the sky rumble as the normal clouds nearby multiplied like rabbits, filling the sky with an angry snarl of wind. The city was coming closer now, for it was surely going to be right on top of her…and soon. The blustery weather was making it difficult to stand, but she resisted kneeling to such an entrance.  
  
Cloudminders, Lina said in her mind, why do you hide your identity? Why fight such a battle against the Mazoku? Or do you fight as ancient dragons against your dragon foes?   
  
At her strong request, a winged creature flew from the floating land. She was quite sure that it was…flying. First, it was a black dragon, then an ancient dragon. It morphed in the air, becoming a…golden dragon. And then, it was something else…that she had never seen before.  
  
"Who are you! Mazoku! Shinzoku! Reveal yourself!" Her voice fell on deaf ears, for the flying creature choose not reveal its secrets as it ducked back for cover behind the floating city.  
  
The air shook.   
  
To be precise, the previous would have been an understatement.  
  
"What the…" The City of the Clouds was glowing enormously bright, a beacon of light brighter than the sun had ever been. Lina could no longer stand and watch, it was as if the light itself was pushing her to the ground. Still, above the city grew flashes of blue and green, quite unnatural colors of the sky. All of heaven and the mighty sea had opened up, drawing the power from the sky and space.   
  
And the city exploded in a kaleidoscope of colors. A tsunami of energy approached, growing larger by every second. Not a joyous reunion -- for as the wave crept over the land, all disappeared behind its cloud of visibility.   
  
Lina ran, her legs tired. She raywinged up into the air but was thrown down angrily from the sky. Dropping like a rock, the sorcerer was unprotected as the wave of energy wave struck her from behind.  
  
Blackness.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
She woke up in a sweat, curled up under the thick comforter. Her feet were dangling free of her sheets by the foot of the bed, she was surprised how cold her toes were.  
  
Lina turned in bed and felt…fat. She had eaten too much of the Sheik's food last night. Or was it the chocolate she snacked on later. Irritated, she wrestled her body around to get more comfortable. The sheets around her waist, her chest, and hips were so unbearably tight, for she couldn't understand why. With disgust and all the feelings of morning sickness, the sorcerer dragged herself up out of bed towards the bathroom.  
  
Strange, she thought, the whole bedroom seemed so much…smaller. She couldn't make hands or tails of her environment as she waddled over to the mirror to wash her face…  
  
"AAAGGGGHHH!!"   
  
She ducked at seeing a stranger in the mirror. She looked up and realized that the stranger was…her. A blond, still human, with long hair as fine as Filia's, possibly with locks that were longer. She was taller. Curvier. Her cheekbones were higher as well as her neck, and then there was her…chest.   
  
Not her old chest, but a chest that could rival anyone's in size. She could swear her breasts were larger than almost any chest she had seen in her life. Her top was closely checked up by her kid sorcerer's shirt, her outfit so tight that it was mid-riffing her bare tummy and the top could barely hold her in her figure. Her waist was still kid-like and tiny, which led to a tight thighs and a perfect set of legs.  
  
Excitedly, Lina grabbed her breasts. Firmly. Real breasts. She jumped ever so little and her chest bounced. A lot. Bounced so hard that she fell backward into her bed, her equilibrium was whacked out.  
  
"What the…?"   
  
She had the killer body, but something else was…amiss. She never realized how difficult it was, the motor control, the coordination. She got off of the bed and tried to walk. Well, at least that was no problem…  
  
Relieved, Lina sighed and smiled happily -- her own wish had come true…but then…but what if I can't do a…she thought. Well, let's try a flare arrow…  
  
But…but…the arm motions and then…thump!…her breasts were in the way! Just as the spell was to go off, it died right in her hands…   
  
The truth hit her like a ton of bricks. "No spells…No dragon slave. I've turned into something worse than…her!!"   
  
"Xellos!!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
A hello to The Entry Plug, one of my *thankful* readers. We enjoy each other's stuff so much :p   
  
- Incantrix  
incantrix@dreamclouds.com   
  
  
---o--o--o--- 


	9. Chapter 9: Island! Seafood of Doom!

---o--o--o---  
  
[Lina] I'm a blond. Just wonderful. However, we'll have to get back to me later before I have my bad hair day. Time to look in on Zel and the gang, who are getting themselves into more trouble  
  
[Zelgadis] Oh crap...  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Slayers: Clouds!  
  
Chapter 9:  
Island! Seafood of Doom!  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Turnip," said the short Mazoku, scanning the tropical beach for outsiders. "You disappoint me."  
  
"That's what you say, master." The former leader of Monte Darlo was out of his suit and dressed in a plain white tropical shirt with tan slacks and beach sandals. He was sitting down with his legs crossed, whittling down a piece of driftwood with a penknife. The former human was almost hiding among the palm tree leaves with his back leaning upon one of their trunk.   
  
"Where have you been? So far, you have been nothing more than a useless fig to me." Joe stomped around his newest slave, clearly disappointed by recent results. "Lina's comrades still live. And to use humans like that...your actions bring shame to the Mazoku race."  
  
Joe's servant refused to look up. "You gave me inferior tools. Those cousins of yours are nothing but bakas. Maybe you should handle the dirty work from now on."  
  
"Be quiet!" The diminutive one glared down at Turnip in disgust. He thought about striking down the former human but decided there wasn't any point. "Remember, foolish one. I bought you here for one reason -- to deal with the Cloudminders. To make sure nobody but us has control of the chaos key. Do you really think you can take this on your own?"  
  
The former human nodded. "Hai. By the powers you have vested in me, I will crush the great Lina Inverse, thus defeating her cursed meddling."  
  
"No, you can't," interrupted Joe, "don't even try to be an ego about it either. You already used up your human life as an idiot, what makes you think I'm going to let you do the same thing again?"  
  
"Let me kill her! Now!" The former human looked up at Joe, giving his master a crooked smile. "I don't want to just eliminate her, I want to feed off such a powerful woman. Oh, how it excites me!" It was as if the human Turnip was salivating over a plate of perfectly cooked roast beef.   
  
Joe looked at his slave. For all the good it did having Turnip under his control -- the knowledge and the experiments from the Cloudminders tool's...it was his thirst for revenge that was quickly tiring the Mazoku. The idiot was still acting as a human.  
  
What Turnip needed was a pick me up. And quickly, before his former human habits took control of his Mazoku soul. He had seen this a few times before -- the consequences in eliminating your slave in the end were never pretty.  
  
The superior Mazoku looked among his own possessions, a sort of concealed area within his own body. To the typical human, it looked like Joe's internal pocket in his cloak. But if you fancied a chance at opening up Joe's emotional soul, it would reveal a treasure of many different bottled fears and pains. As an advanced Mazoku, Joe had learned to capture such pure human thoughts and bottle them like fine wine, specifically to be 'tasted' and used later. They provided nourishment for the Mazoku in times of great need.   
  
Turnip continued to cringe like a human. Yes, even he knew that he was a Mazoku, still carrying around his human traits on his sleeve. Little by little, Turnip was usurping those human traits that were so disgusted by his Mazoku form. But in times of pure need, his human side would rear its ugly head once again, thus reverting to his nasty former emotional form.  
  
"I shall eliminate that human behavior of yours immediately, Turnip. Do not even try to resist." The short Mazoku pulled out a normal looking jar from one of the deeper pockets in his jacket. "This occurrence will show you what it is like to be one of us." He unscrewed the jar, a physical part of himself, letting Turnip taste the experiences.  
  
To the newer Mazoku, it was like smelled like the fine meal. He ingested the contents of Joe's offering with such a furious valor that it nearly shocked the older Mazoku. As he swallowed very morsel of the memory, Turnip tried to examine the specifics of the attack by Joe, but precise details were fuzzy at best. Instead, it was the emotional feelings that Joe's victims made that had Turnip's soul boil -- for the thirst.  
  
Joe watched as his subordinate glow the blood red of Shabranigudo. Yes, he thought, the gift always works. Even when your young, the incredible ride… it's so calming and nourishing, never has a new Mazoku been able to turn down such a gift.  
  
Turnip was heaving, his entire body shaking as if breathing in high altitude air. He tried to check himself back into remission, but that was not going to be possible.  
  
Joe circled around the former human, quite content with the results. "You feel it? That angry pit in your stomach? Almost like you ate a bad egg, from what I've been told. It's not like I know, being a Mazoku my entire life. However…"  
  
Turnip growled "I sense it…" he said. "It's there, buried deep within me…erupting."  
  
"Good. Very Good. You know why I brought back here. Complete your mission, this time for me." and he disappeared.  
  
Turnip clenched his fist around the penknife, enjoying the experience of the cutting the blade as it sliced open his own hand. "Yes, master..."  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Weoh," sweated the chimera, leaning his hand on a tropical palm tree for support. Bone tired, he could swear their walking pace had increased significantly in the last hour or so. But then again, he couldn't be so sure.   
  
He took a second to catch his breath while he watched Gourry hack away at the jungle terrain. The swordsman had taken to Em's directions very well, clearing a walking path toward 'the village.' With the two of them working well as a team, it had taken them little time to clear a path through the island jungle.  
  
Still, that left the princess of Saillune with nothing to do except to stand by the chimera's side. Unlike her former self, Amelia had given Zel a wider berth of personal space than usual. She knew something was wrong with his changes in appearance and all, yet he refused to fill the princess in. Still, the chimera could have used the company...  
  
"Amelia..." he said flatly.  
  
"Yes, Zel..."   
  
He was surprised that the brunette was listening so well. She didn't try to flutter with her words like so many other times. It would have taken a boulder to the head no to see what was happening.   
  
"..." He tried to blurt out the truth in one sentence, but the words weren't coming out. Instead, he tried to swallow what had never come out. He looked back over at Amelia, who was giving him kawaii look. No, this wasn't going well at all...   
  
"Perhaps if you could fill in the details, Zel." She was unnaturally approaching the chimera, her eyes watering in the depths of sadness. This instance was laced with seriousness, unlike so many times before. Just maybe it was the twinkle in her eyes, or something else that had her attention.  
  
Zelgadis took a look down at himself, almost an inventory check of sorts. Yep, still plenty of weirdness in his body. His left arm was now encased in a stone cocoon of gray and white rock. He had pressed on it earlier that day and couldn't even feel his own touch. Already the arm had begun to decay away, the surface was starting to splinter before his eyes.  
  
The rocky cocoon sprayed itself all over his chest like a huge bandage covering a horrid wound. Up and over his shoulder, he could feel the weight all the way across his back. His right arm, at least the upper part, was just starting to tingle with the same sensation like his left arm from earlier that week. Soon, his legs would be infected as well, since his waist was already quite stiff from a layer of rock. Human traits in all were disappearing across his body.   
  
Time for him was running out. At one point, he figured he had a month, maybe more. Now the drain was accelerating like a dam break; he figured that he had a week but that was only a guess at best. And with Lina was no longer in sight to carry out his errand of mercy, he was going to have to rely on someone else.  
  
"Ummm... Zel?..." Amelia spoke even more loudly than before, reinforcing her will on the chimera. "I'm not dumb, you know. I know what's going on." Her look was no longer naïve, but with a genuineness that warmed the chimera's heart.  
  
This caught Zelgadis off guard, but he didn't blink an eye. Perhaps something was up, and her little obsession with him was over. The worse he could do was to ignore the princess of Saillune, but that's exactly what he did.   
  
Instead, Zel recalculated the time he had left. Nothing was good news anymore. The new figures in his head now gave him less that a week, maybe even a couple of days. Chances of getting to the City of the Clouds in time were slim at best -- yet, there was still time. He grimaced, realizing at what really mattered.  
  
Amelia didn't give up as she ran to the other side of the chimera, undeterred from the multiple brush-offs. She jumped in front of his sight line, making sure Zel could squarely hear her plea.   
  
"Look, I know you don't think we care about you," she said. "All you want to do is sulk about it and let no one else help you. And in all that time for a cure, I've led you everywhere in my kingdom and to different towns and cities around the world. I'd go anywhere with you to help you, so please...let me in."  
  
The chimera continued to walk silently, yet this time he was listening.   
  
"Everything I do for you," said Amelia, "I do because of who you are. It's the same for Lina, and Gourry. Even that new girl with us, Em. I can tell she's looking out for you. What do you think about that?"  
  
Zel continued to walk along quiet as a church mouse. But now Amelia could sense that the chimera was listening to her words, it gave her faith to try even more.  
  
She grabbed the chimera's stony arm, refusing to let him walk any farther. "Tell me the truth; I want to hear it now. What did you ask Lina to do?"   
  
He didn't dare turn around. Saying no would be best; he could not force someone else to pick up where Lina had faltered. Was it the sorcerer's fault that he was here and she was close to the Sheik's city? Not at all, but at this rate he needed someone else to fulfill his wishes.  
  
"Do you promise to follow what Lina said she would do?" he said.  
  
"Hai." Amelia's tone was as serious as Zel had ever heard it. "I swear."  
  
He twisted around and looked squarely into the brunette's eyes. "Promise me this, princess. When the time comes and I ask you..." He stopped and got it off his chest. "You will take me out, before this affiliation finishes me. You must. Swear to kill me before I become a statue."  
  
Amelia's expression instantly changed from concern to grief. Her eyes immediately watered like a fountain, her mind unable to hold her emotions in check. "I...I..." The princess was having a hard time accepting the words from Zel; she therefore tried nonchalantly to dismiss them outright. "That's not going to happen to you..."  
  
"Yes it is..." He pulled the sleeve of his left cloak up for Amelia to see. The skin was no longer chimera, but of old dusty gray rock. But even what was skin was fractured with tiny cracks and age. It didn't look like it could even survive the tiniest of blows. "I will become a sculpture, that much is fact. I will have my mind trapped in a frozen body; I know this to be the case. Lina knows it, I know it...and now you know it."  
  
Amelia took a second to swallow the painful truth. "Hai...I will do as you ask." She even surprised herself with those frightening words.  
  
For above all, a shrine maiden was supposed to protect a life at every cost. The ultimate in white magic was to save life and preserve it. Never to destroy it, but to maintain its beauty and order as much as possible.  
  
Yet here was life, everlasting life that about to be trapped within its very own hell. She couldn't stand the horror, she just...couldn't. And everything that she had believed in came to a crashing halt. Here was something that she felt was right, no matter how many rules it broke. Every mortal fiber within her said it was the right decision.  
  
Zelgadis put on a little half smile. It was all he could manage because most of his chin was gray stone. "Very good."  
  
Amelia's jaw dropped. "Please..." she said, quietly holding up the palm of her hand and laying it across the chimera's chin. He didn't dare resist as she leaned ever so closer to feel his breath...  
  
"Hey! Aren't you guys coming?" Em was staring back to the two of them, with Gourry still clearing a passage. "It's only another couple of hours of hacking and we're to the island port. Wouldn't it be great to get there?"  
  
The brunette slightly blushed, suddenly pulling her hand back from the chimera's face. "You mean, for dinner?" said Amelia.   
  
Gourry heard the wishful words right out of his mouth. "Dinner?" he said, shaking off his lethargic slashing. His scythe sped up to a furious pace, overwhelming Em with vegetation debris.  
  
"Eeeep! Wait a minute, Gourry! Not so fast! That was almost my leg!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Xellos appeared over the island, floating around in the sky like a leaf in the wind. "No, not here…" he mused to himself before disappearing.  
  
He reappeared a short distance away floating above an outcropping of land along the seacoast. The tropical ocean was choppy with currents moving to and fro at a frightening pace. If he were a normal human, then trapped on such rocks would have spelled a death sentence. Getting off the outcropping would have required a quick dip back into the water -- and revisiting the rocks in a not so pleasant manner.  
  
But he was a Mazoku after all. How pleasant for him.  
  
The mysterious priest looked down on the rocks he was hovering over. It was still quite unsuitable for landing upon: soot from a fire and the sea mixed on the surface of the landing point, covering the land in an ugly mix of browns and grays with an occasional stripe of black.  
  
The fire had burned yesterday afternoon and night. It was from the leftovers from Em's ship, to be exact. What little debris that had not burned away had been later swept away by the sea. The only clues to the airship's landing were traces of wood left scorched by fire.   
  
Xellos looked over to another rock with a sail piece ripped across its top, the edges shredded and wet. "Now, where was I going to…go…" He looked down at the water, circling about aimlessly until finding the perfect spot. "Ahh, I see you… oh yes, there you are now!"  
  
He turned his staff upside down, dropping the very top of the jeweled head into the water. It bubbled the sea slowly like a hot spring that quickly grew into a furious boil. Water steamed into the sky as the ocean split apart, quite afraid of Xellos' staff. It walled artificially around the mysterious priest as he lowered himself to the sandy ocean floor.  
  
The water around the outcropping of land had been surprisingly deep. The all-knowing Mazoku was intrigued nevertheless, lowering himself 30 or so feet below the previous sea level. He was surprised at the stiffness of ground when he landed on a hard bottom of clay, smoothed perfectly by the strong tides.  
  
"I dare say, of all the places…" Xellos looked down and saw the smallest of doors on the side of the rock, far too small for any human to enter. The encrusted entry was laced with many broken seashells, like they had been glued to the outside as decoration.   
  
With the end of his staff he knocked loudly on the ornamented door. A few of the outer shells came off with the slightest of touches. The Mazoku frowned a bit as angry sounding words came from the little entrance.  
  
The shell-encrusted door smashed open. A crab crawl out, much more than an ordinary crab. He was a larger, stockier fellow, with a spectacle over his right eye. A fat top hat covered his spiny back, open-headed and peeled away like so many distraught old hats from an earlier time.  
  
"Whatta you want?" said the crab. "Don't you humans ever think that I don't want to be disturbed?"  
  
"No, not at all," smirked the Mazoku. He leaned down until he was almost kneeling next to the unusual crab. "And what's your name, I should ask?"  
  
"Crabby. Whatever you're thinking, forget it. I'm in no mood." The crab snapped one of his angry craws in the air, just missing Xellos' nose. "Get out of here, stupid human. You messed up my door." And he turned around and slammed his little entrance shut, causing a couple of more seashells to shatter off.  
  
Xellos stood back up with the bottom tip of his staff he began to trance a large circle in the hard clay soil. The path that he made glittered deep red with magic. He looked down at his completed enchanted circle, said a few choice key words and whole rocky complex exploded into pieces.  
  
It didn't take long for the dust to clear. Crabby's claw was sticking of the rocky pile as his fat top hat rolled around on the clay floor before settling on its side. The Mazoku picked up the cinder of head fabric and threw it aside.  
  
"He certainly was a crab, no doubt about it." He poked around the rock pile with the bottom end of his staff, until his eyes gleamed on the prize. A little levitation spell, and the chaos crystal floated up to his sightlines.   
  
Xellos snatched the chaos crystal out of thin air, depositing it quickly into his satchel pack. If one were there, you could have sworn that the Mazoku smiled. "Ano, now where's that drawn butter? I have cracked crab all ready to go for tonight."   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Thoth was admiring the sunset as he tucked his cloak out over his pants. Better to keep it under the wraps of his clothes. He didn't let anyone see it, now it was much better with the belt well hidden by his dirty shirt cloak.   
  
He was not far from the unnamed port village. The old place had once named Pellsbury, a name from quite a few years ago. He remembered seeing this town before, the riches from its earlier times long since gone. Now the wharf trading post was almost a ghost town, its lifeblood of commerce diverted to somewhere else.  
  
The old man sighed. Time had taken a difficult toll on his body over the years. He felt relieved that everything was coming together. The many years had softened his thirst for revenge. His mission was finally coming to an end.   
  
Yet, he had barely collected any of the necessary chaos stones. The other one that he had detected had already picked up by a party involved -- which left a couple more out there, just in case.  
  
Other things were coming to fruition. Forces were forming and gathering, and it wouldn't be long until the legendary City of the Clouds made its grand entrance. That's when the real fun would begin.  
  
"So there you are, Mad Thoth. How nice to finally catch up and chat. Oh, and it's so nice that sniveling little brunette is no longer around." The old man felt the sharp pain of a blade in the center of his back. "If I push any harder, I'm sure I'll pierce your skin. Definitely not something pretty."  
  
"Ahhh...Biru? Is that you?" Thoth responded. He couldn't believe the innkeeper had survived as well.  
  
"You had better believe it. Now if you value you life..." The old man raised his arms up from the sides of his waist in the usual surrendering fashion. "Good, good. You're finally learning something."   
  
Thoth grumbled to himself. How did this second-rate loser rope him in?  
  
" I see you survived quite...intact." Biru took a step closer and breathed on the back of Thoth's neck. "You are a crafty one, aren't you?"  
  
Thoth blushed. "I'm a senile old man. I just know how to survive a lot of things."  
  
"I'm sure you do, but it's not exactly the response I was expecting, Mad Thoth. But then, I think it's all been a clever ruse from you anyway."  
  
The old man sighed. "I guess you're right, Biru. The truth is I went to Turnip's casino and resort to..."  
  
"I knew it! I knew it!" shouted the innkeeper. "You are with the national office! I was so right!" Biru was so pumped up that he threw the butcher knife into the ground, barely missing Thoth's toes.  
  
Thoth sweat dropped. "Errr...."  
  
"You're with the Innkeeper's Association! The awards, the prestige, the costume and everything. I just knew it!" Biru was jumping around in a little circle, quite happy with himself. "They got my letter for Inverse Tax! Oh right!"  
  
Thoth's jaw dropped in shock. "Ummm...Yea...yea...that's it!"  
  
Biru's excitement softened yet his smile could not disappear. "So, what can I do for you, Inspector Thoth?"  
  
'Inspector' huh, thought Thoth. The old man rubbed his beard quite smugly. "Well, let's see...have you paid your national dues yet? After all, I am rather hungry..."   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"We're almost there...right?" asked Amelia, talking towards Em and Gourry as they walked up ahead.  
  
Em waved. "Uh-huh. I can see the port right up ahead. It's just a stone's throw away." She pointed down the hill to the small, darkened harbor. It was already dark, yet few lit torches lit much of the port town.  
  
They arrived at the edge of town. It was certainly not the busiest place in the world. A few of the outer houses had been deserted long ago, their windows smashed broken with roofs missing or fallen in. The archway leading into the port was still up; a 'Welcome to Pellsbury' sign hanging on by one nail, ready to be blown off by the next hurricane.  
  
"Not a very pretty place," said Amelia, mulling around the dusty street. "The town has definitely seen better days."  
  
"Hai. I never come here anymore," said the scientist. "The memories are painful enough, but with the occasional pirates and the Sheik's city offering protection to incoming ships, it's just unfortunate...that no one comes here anymore" Em kicked a empty can across the street, trying to discard her bad memories. "So long ago..."  
  
"You mean, this place was busier a long time ago?" asked Gourry, looking at the deserted ship docked at the broken pier. The transport had once been seaworthy, its hull now broken and sunk in its slip. The dock wasn't much better with its missing planks, its path slowly lowering into the murky sea.  
  
"There are some lighted houses farther into the center of town," said Zel, pointing up the street. "Perhaps someplace where we can get some food and lodging."   
  
They found a large inn in the center of the port; to say the building needed a paint job would have been an understatement. The wooden three-story inn had seen better days; the broken shutters and a porch with empty flowerpots were enough surefire clues. But through the curtained windows the group could see the inn's restaurant was jam-packed with patrons.  
  
"As far as I know, it's the only place in town," said Em, opening the door to the high chatter of the restaurant. With the group following, Em stepped up and entered the lighted inn.   
  
The inside foyer was indeed as shabby as the exterior. Heavy golden curtains separated the rooms as well as lined the windows, perfect for keeping out the early sunrise. Unfortunately much of the fabric's color had washed away from gold to gray. Matching faded wallpaper was peeling along the edges of the windows and corners. Yet, there was a surprising amount of pride in the room.  
  
"Hello, can I help you?" The innkeeper, a younger brunette woman wearing a simple conservative blue dress came out from the busy dining room.   
  
"We're looking for lodging for the night. Perhaps four rooms," said Em, with a little smile on her face. "Is that going to be possible?"  
  
Amelia's stomach rumbled as she covered it in embarrassment. "Also, some dinner would be great."  
  
"Oh, of course!" The woman grinned. "Strangers from out of town! How nice!" She took a couple of steps toward a small desk, taking out skeleton keys from the top draw. "I have plenty of rooms upstairs, one for each of you. However, the dining room is quite...packed I'm afraid."  
  
"Any reason you're so busy?" asked Zel.  
  
The host frowned. "Well, the locals don't have much to cheer about these days. We rarely get traders here anymore, so their nights are spent here, eating and drinking their savings away. At least it keeps me busy."  
  
"But the kitchen is still open, right?" Gourry raised the question again as his mouth watered at the mention of food.   
  
"Oh, of course! It's quite hectic, but there's still room in the restaurant tonight." She reached out and shook Em's hand. "I'm Marie, and if you need anything you ask for me." She finished handing out the keys and collected menus for the dinner seating. "Come on, all of you, I have to split you into two groups, but I'm sure you won't mind..."   
  
Out of pure instinct, Amelia took Zelgadis' hand and grasped it forcefully. "That doesn't sound like a big problem to me..."  
  
Zel sweat dropped. "Umm..."  
  
"No, of course not! This way..." And Marie parted the curtains and led them into to the busy dining room.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"This place is really great." Gourry was heavily enjoying his meal of ribs and other assortment of roasted meats, served with mountains of potatoes and gravy. "They really cook a good meal here, I'll have to invite Lina sometime..."  
  
"Only you could invite Lina to this backwater of an island," said Em, "for the sole reason for their only restaurant."  
  
"Sure, we do it all the time."  
  
The scientist groaned as she surveyed the dining room. It sure was a rowdy crowd of drunks and starving locals. They were quite content with the generous amounts of food and alcohol, not minding the large tabs later because of their 'condition.'  
  
Em sighed as she playfully stirred her vegetable broth. "You know, losing my airship yesterday... I just miss everyone..." She thought about her crew...her ship...her first mate...All gone.  
  
Gourry picked up a rack of ribs and pulled off a couple of joints from the end. Instead of eating the pulled-off section, he earnestly dropped the small piece and picked up the giant almost complete rack and ate with sheer delight. "Something...bothering you? Lina says I'm always a good listener."  
  
I'm sure you are, thought Em, as she leaned back in her chair. She thought about her first lieutenant who had worked with her...father. No, she didn't want to think about it. Yet, the experience was so...vivid. She had to get the story off her chest.  
  
"Gourry, can I tell you something?" said Em, looking up. "It's important."  
  
"Sure..." The blond swordsman was finishing off some sweet potatoes. "Go ahead."  
  
The scientist folded her hands, pushing the soup bowl away. She really wasn't hungry. "Well, quite a few years ago my father had a laboratory on the other side of this island. It was there that we used to study chaos stones -- their properties with nature and how they are able to absorb the magical chaos around them; even if there isn't a spellcaster nearby."  
  
"One day I was working with my father and his two assistants when...and my father was..." She swallowed a breath for a second and started to hyperventilate.  
  
Gourry looked up from his plate, busy sucking several rib bones dry of their flavor. Their barbequed taste was so intoxicating that it caused the swordsman to roll his eyes quite lazily. "Huh, did you say something?"  
  
Em chuckled at the sight of a Gourry relaxing with rib bones in his mouth like cigars. "My goodness? Did you have a drink or two tonight!"  
  
The swordsman blushed, spitting out his ribs. "No way! I'm never drinking again." A little migraine headache abruptly came to pass, more mental than anything. "It's probably best that I'm off the drink for a while...I get really screwy."  
  
The scientist laughed. "I believe you're right Gourry. We wouldn't want you any other way..."  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Marie always had very good instincts in knowing where to place strangers in her restaurant. The little redhead and tallish blond man had definitely needed that table in the middle of the floor in order to cheer them up. After all, surrounded by the partying locals was bound to increase the liveliness for anyone else.  
  
With the other couple, however, she acknowledged that a more intimate place was necessary. So she brought them to a private table in another room of the inn, an upscale corner usually reserved for 'special' evenings. The small windowed dining room had recently been redecorated, its table well lit by the most romantic of candelabras that sat on top of a fine laced tablecloths. Even though the other couple of tables were unoccupied, the matching red velvety curtains and drapes made the room privately warm and inviting.  
  
"You can have a seat here," said Marie, ushering the couple to their table. "Your server will be with you in a minute." She pulled out chairs for the both of them as Amelia pleasantly sat down for dinner.  
  
The chimera sweat dropped. "Ummm... don't you have a location...somewhere else? Less formal would be great, actually."  
  
The princess frowned from her seat. "Awwe, Zel. Don't be such a spoiled sport. I like the quiet table."  
  
"I'm sorry, but I don't have another place available," said Marie. Before the chimera could object again, the innkeeper shuffled out of the room. "Don't worry, the privacy is on me..."  
  
"I don't like it..." objected Zel, but he had little choice as Amelia was waiting for him to follow. He thought about muttering something else but better judgment checked that as he sat down.  
  
Marie was back, this time pouring a glass of red wine for each of her guests. "On the house because of the inconvenience." She smiled as she served the beverages. "After all, we do get so few visitors here..." The innkeeper settled the princess of Saillune in by taking her linen napkin and placing it unfolded onto her lap.  
  
"Arigato," said Amelia, smiling from the formal treatment.  
  
As Marie reached for the chimera's napkin, Zel swiped the folded linen from his plate and threw it into his lap. Undeterred, Marie reached into his lap to unfold the linen.  
  
Zel stirred around uncomfortably, shafting around in his seat because he was quite unaccustomed to being taken cared by hand and foot. He didn't like being served so formally.   
  
"Take it easy, Zel. Marie's going to take care of us tonight." Amelia playfully blinked as Marie exited the private room. "Sometimes, you've got to learn to relax. I know it's tough right now, but there's nothing you can do about it at the moment."  
  
"Can't." He shifted around in the comfy chair, his hard back not used to such plush environments. "I never did like it, even when staying at your palace."  
  
Amelia reached out and grasped the chimera's hand. She was surprised how cold his exterior had become in the last couple of days. Seeing the process unfold on his body was scary enough; now it was apparent that his coordination was getting slower by each and every day.  
  
The chimera felt trapped by the circumstances. Every day, Amelia was become more and more forward with her actions, maturing before his very eyes. There was something about her inner strength, especially recently, that was preventing him from bolting, from giving up. They were in this mess because of him, now they were fighting for his life.   
  
Was it the promise from this morning? Just like Lina, the princess had taken the vow. And as his friend, she was pledging her promise. But would she be able to do it when the time was right?  
  
Marie came in with couple of fresh salads in her hands. "Excuse me, I need some room on the table..."   
  
Amelia blushed, bringing her arms back to her side. "No problem."  
  
They ate their meal and talked about some of the earlier adventures with Lina. Amelia reminded the chimera of some of the happier times which he could laugh about now. The cross dressing ones always got a good chuckle out of Amelia, even if they only made Zelgadis smile on the inside.  
  
"And when, you found out that woman from Femella was a guy, I have never seen you blush so hard in my life." The princess was clearly enjoying making the chimera sweat.  
  
Zel bit his lip, quite helpless now but to openly laugh off the whole incident. "I always thought here was always something strange about that place." He lifted his wine goblet and took a big sip in delight-  
  
And dropped it onto the ground, shattering it.  
  
"Zel!!"  
  
No! Not now! He shouted in his mind, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the stabbing pain in his left arm. Doing what felt instinctive, he latched onto his left wrist with his other hand, more out of desperation than anything.   
  
"Zel! What's wrong!" Amelia was out of her chair and by the chimera's side, trying to get a good look. "Please..."  
  
He shook his head in defiance as the pain subsided. It was then he noticed the sensation of his entire limb was gone. "I...I can't feel it..." The chimera tried to get up out of the chair, but the princess held him fast.   
  
Quite concerned, he took a peek at his left arm to see what was going on -- and saw that his blue tint was gone. Even the light gray that was rock was missing, replaced with a dirty brown that could only be described as lifeless.  
  
"Take me up to my room..." He reached around Amelia's shoulder and pulled himself up out of his chair. "Now..."  
  
"Hai..." Amelia didn't object as she helped him exit the dining room.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"So, do you want to know why I've been here?" said the redheaded scientist.  
  
"I guess so," said Gourry, playfully throwing a stone into the sea.  
  
They were outside of the inn, back near the dilapidated entrance of the port town. Em was especially looking at the sunken ship, admiring the way the ocean pounded against its broken hull; how the currents would ebb and flow through the rotting girth of the craft.  
  
She looked out at the sea for answers. "It was that day that my father passed away. We were working outside behind our house, on a cloudless day. Almost sunset, and to keep it light out my father placed a row of torches and oil lamps around his workplace."  
  
"You see, my father once rediscovered the secret of the chaos box in some drawings in a cave, placed there by someone long ago. With the skills of a scientist, he spent lifetime collecting boxes and stones from far away land. Many of the treasures he first discovered were fakes, yet a couple were true to their intended origins -- the City of the Clouds."  
  
"The first real box my father happened along was cracked, so when we captured chaos energy from outside, it just naturally flowed out of the box like a water spigot."  
  
"Uh-huh," nodded Gourry.  
  
"What we hadn't known was that our chaos box had been working quite well, in fact. So well, that the local Mazoku population was slowly being drained of their energy. In the couple months into the experiments, we built fans that were never pulling by human hands, windmills that didn't require power, and then finally...an airship."  
  
"Ohhh..."  
  
"That evening, this higher-classed Mazoku shows up behind the mansion, curious why his lower members had disappeared from the island. To get close to us, he killed a local town craftsman and disguised himself looking for carpentry work. He sweet talked my father into putting him up for work as a choirboy for his other assistants."   
  
Em sighed. "I remember he was there that day, refilling our supplies and keeping the place clean. The next day, my father and his assistants began testing trials on charging a chaos box..."  
  
Gourry had picked up a perfect stone for skimming over the ocean water. Instead of throwing it right away, he polished the rock in his hands as a distraction.   
  
"My father didn't see through his disguise until after he activated the box." Em shuddered from hearing her words, scared by telling the story. "I will always remember that fellow. A cloak covering most of his smallish body and red beady eyes. As soon as we activated the box, I could swear I saw chaos energy swirl around his body. He yelped in pain, throwing charged energy and spells at the box in vain. He then picked up his wood axe, taken from his former human disguise... and threw it at the chaos box. "  
  
Gourry looked up. "Hai, it's not good idea to throw something at a chaos box." He rubbed the back of his head as a reminder.  
  
Em swallowed her breath. "My father tried to stop the axe but you can't even if you think you know what's going to happen..." Her eyes were suddenly red as tears grew from the corners of her eyes. "It shattered the box. And...I was the only one to survive..."  
  
The blond swordsman threw his stone, watching it skim across the water a few times before hitting something in the sea. The rock took a major U-turn and as it bounced harmlessly to the side. "Huh? I don't..." said Gourry to himself, before turning back to the scientist.   
  
Em sniffed her face dry. "No...you didn't know. It's quite OK."  
  
"Hai....sorry. Life is hard sometimes. Do you want to go back?"   
  
Em nodded as the two of them turned back toward the inn.  
  
Unbeknownst to Gourry and Em, the ocean swirled where Gourry's rock had strangely diverted its path. Out of the sea emerged a giant eye, looking up and out of the water. It blinked and emitting a sound of wincing pain, its eyelid was swollen red from the swordsman's poke. As soon as it had appeared, it crept back into the safety of the ocean.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Give me a hand. The key is in my left pocket," said Zelgadis, leaning in the hallway while his heavy body swayed from side to side. He looked down in shame, embarrassed that the princess of Saillune had to 'take care of him.'  
  
"Hai, I've almost got it..." The brunette was reaching deep into the inside chest of his cloak, looking for the inn key. She never felt a body so cold, like frozen water to the touch. No luck. She gave it another shot, reaching ever so farther down into the center slit of his open robe.  
  
"I said left pocket!" cursed the chimera, finding the strength to twist his body slightly so Amelia's arm could slip up the chimera's chest.  
  
The princess blushed. "Ano...That didn't mean anything! Swear!" She sweated a couple of more seconds until the sound of jingling keys could be heard. "Got it!"  
  
Amelia turned to the door and opened up to a quaint yet comfortable sleeping room. The large bed was easily big enough for two people even if was only Zelgadis staying in the room. A beach wood dresser occupied the opposite wall of the room; the other major decorative piece was a smallish oval mat that covered most of the wooden floor.   
  
The princess brought Zelgadis into the room, but she couldn't control the heavy chimera. He did little to help himself, preferring to tumble onto the bed.  
  
The chimera winced in pain, not from the hitting the bed but from folding his tucked arm under his heavy body. He turned over and realized that his arm was suddenly a lot lighter.  
  
Amelia blinked, still holding onto the left arm of the chimera. However, nothing else was attached to Zel's left shoulder except a stubby attachment of stony rock. She looked back down at the arm: the entire forearm was there along with his hand, elbow, and part of his upper arm. Once blue, his dismembered limb was an ugly grayish brown.  
  
She screamed. "Ahhh! What have I done! I've ripped your arm off!" The scared brunette dropped the detached appendage, letting it fall towards the floor.  
  
At seeing his falling arm, Zel leaped out of the bed on strength he didn't think he had. Reaching out, the chimera managed to catch the stony limb on the edge of his other fingertips, just before its enviable shatter against the ground.  
  
He painfully turned himself over and sighed. Looking up at his body changing before his eyes was bad enough, but now his body was betraying his mind. Instead of becoming a statue like Xellos had predicted, he was falling apart like so many other relics of forgotten ancient history. And all he could do was cradle his broken limb against his chest.  
  
"Go..." he said, closing his eyes and wishing for the world to disappear. He was ashamed at his condition, so much that he no longer had pride. He wanted it to end, and hopefully, Amelia would leave him to die in peace.  
  
All Zel could do was urge her to reject him. "You can't use magic on me...it won't help." He was suddenly very tired of the fight and the pain. Of the promises and desires. And in the end, all the useless effort at living and becoming human. His wishes had finally cost him his life. Why didn't they just get rid of him so he could die!  
  
A sniffle. The chimera looked up in the corner of his eyes and was surprised to find Amelia still in the room. The look on the brunette's face was all there needed to be explained. She still held her palms out, empty, the fingers still opened downward. The chimera could see her eyes were bloodshot in tears, almost hidden over by the sweat of hair.  
  
Why doesn't she run he asked himself. The old Amelia, even the one that was just with him time and time before would dart away from danger whenever it was around. But this Amelia: from Monte Darlo, from the airship, or from now -- it was this Amelia that had grown up, mature beyond her years.   
  
He could feel her breath against his rocky skin. Amelia was closer now, touching his chin and then the side of his face. The smell was so familiar...so warm that he tried to swallow its very essence. She began to trace the edge with her two fingers, feeling where his jawbone had once been, then where his lips were. He could just imagine the horrific look on his face of gray and brown, almost bubbling like a plague.  
  
"No. I'm not going anywhere. Forget about asking me." She was now brushing the fine lines of stony hair on his head, doing the very best to calm his nerves.   
  
Zel focused his eyes on the princess. She was overlooking his eyes, her body giving cushion against his head. Strange that he couldn't feel much anymore, but maybe it was better his way.   
  
He just had to ask. "Why are you staying? Please, leave me be to die. You promised...you swore...."  
  
Amelia bit her tongue hard, unable to fathom her next move. What was she going to do? How could he even begin to ask for death!  
  
A yell from outside the hallway broke the princess' concentration. "What is in the world?" It was Marie and a strange older man behind her with the unmistakable look be being related to Marie but older.   
  
Amelia turned her head up. "Help me! He's dying!"  
  
A commotion in the hallway got everyone stirred up. A few guests had descended on the scene, the look of horror on their faces at seeing the broken man.   
  
"Oh bloody! That guy had his arm chopped off today," said the man with Marie.  
  
"Be quiet Dad! Can't you keep those people away from his room?" responded Marie, looking around for help. She looked down into Amelia's worried face. "Where are your friends?"  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
"Amelia!" It was Em and the blond swordsman right behind her. A couple of tugs as they got by the crowd and Marie's father; they were soon in the room as well.  
  
"We heard the screams and...oh Cepheid!" Eager to help, Em was down next to the tearing Amelia. She quickly surveyed the damage. "Don't worry, he's just having his soul drained. Stupid chaos boxes, you get them into the hands of an amateur and all this crap happens." She pulled the blanket off of the bed and tucked it under the chimera's head for support. "There, is that better?"  
  
Zel nodded a bit before quickly loosing focus. The injured chimera quickly fell into unconsciousness, his head lulled to one side.   
  
"What are we going to do?" pleaded the princess of Saillune, asking to anyone who would listen.  
  
Gourry was looking down at him. "He's leaking, isn't he?"  
  
The scientist snapped her fingers. "Of course! You're so right!" Em turned around to Marie, who was helping her father with dispersing the prying crowd. "I need some pitch and quickly!"  
  
Amelia made a sour face. "Pitch? What in the world would you need that stuff? Uugh!"  
  
"I've got some from our little boat we take on weekend," said Marie. "You needed a sealant of some sort, right?"   
  
The redheaded scientist affirmed. "Exactly. We'll patch him up like a boat in need of new sea legs. Quickly, he hasn't much time!"  
  
Marie turned to her father, "Isn't it under in the basement?"   
  
The senile older man flashed a smile of recognition. "Bloody likely that crap is down in the basement." He scratched his head in frustration. "We'll need some help to get it."  
  
The blond swordsman pointed to himself enthusiastically. "You need someone?"  
  
"Hai! Let's go!" And Marie disappeared in a flash with her father and Gourry.  
  
There was a long minute of silence as the ladies did their best to sooth the chimera. Em continued to look down at the arm while Amelia kept the chimera as comfortable as possible.   
  
Em looked at Amelia for some answers. "So. What happened here? A little tussle on the bed? Or was it something more?"  
  
The princess blushed. "No way! It wasn't anything like that. Here we were, just having a nice dinner when Zel had these terrible pains in his arm. He couldn't move very well so I helped him upstairs."  
  
The scientist gulped. "Uh-huh," she spoke under breath, but the facial expression was enough to show disbelief.  
  
Amelia waved her hands over each other as her face cheeks reddened even more. "Nothing happened. I swear!"  
  
Em heaved a sigh. "Hai. I just want to make sure."  
  
The princess was about to take a second angry look at Em but decided it wasn't a good idea and let it die.  
  
"Here we are!" Marie came in with her father and Gourry right behind, the swordsman carrying a large white bucket of black pitch. What was unusual part were the men in the group: blackened head to toe by a layer of ash with only the whites of their eyes showing.   
  
Amelia blinked, looking at the blond swordsman, "What happened to you two?"  
  
Gourry shrugged and smiled. "Bloody wood furnace for the kitchen."   
  
Marie's father padded the blond swordsman on the back in a fit of laugher. "Oh, there you have it! You've got the shank all down pat!"  
  
The princess frowned, covering her face an expression of cynicism. "Oh brother..."   
  
Em looked into the bucket of pitch. A brush was stuck solidly in the center; the pitch itself had the consistency of wet sand. "Looks good, guys. Great work." She turned back to the unconscious chimera. "Gourry, help Amelia get Zel's arm into position while I apply the pitch."  
  
They got into spots that Em had assigned. Seconds later, the scientist applied the black pitch to the would and swiftly attached the chimera's arm. As soon as the quick operation had been completed, the group could see their patient's condition was immediately improving, whatever little blue tint Zel had before was returning to his body. The scientist and her thinking had just managed to save his life.  
  
The chimera fluttered his eyelids open, surprised to find himself conscious. His vision was narrow: he only see the black shapes, figures totally blackened except for their white eyes. "Well, my Mazoku masters have finally come to take me away," said the proud chimera. "Where to, gentleman?"  
  
"Uhhh..." The soot-covered blond couldn't say anything constructive as he scratched his head.   
  
"Oh bloody hell, you're screwing it up, friend!" said Marie's father.   
  
Zelgadis chuckled at his interpretation of hell, thinking that his Mazoku masters were a bunch of dolts. "Lina did always tell me that hell was no fun. Maybe she was wrong...Ok you two bakas, take me away!"  
  
"Ummm...Zel?" Em leaned over into the chimera's narrow field of vision. "Fancying yourself somewhere else?"  
  
The chimera sweat dropped.  
  
Amelia jumped on top of the chimera and hugged him tightly. For just a second, there was peace in the world. She whispered a few words so softly that only her patient could hear. "Don't do that to me again...ok?"  
  
Zelgadis sighed, now recognizing the blackened figures of Gourry and Marie's father. As he pulled the princess back for a second, he noticed that Amelia was tearing quite a bit. When he lifted his arm to wipe away her tears...it was then he noticed something was feeling very strange.  
  
"Umm..." Em had her finger pointed out at Zel's newly attached arm. Her voice was speechless but her actions were of pure astonishment.  
  
Zel almost ignored the strangeness until scratched his lower back. "How did I do that?" he muttered to himself, trying to survey what was up. Looking down, he noticed that something was very wrong.   
  
"Aaaagh! You put my arm on backwards!!"  
  
Em hushed the chimera down. "Hey, it was a rush job!"  
  
The chimera cursed. "And what does that suppose to mean!"  
  
The scientist pushed Zel back into a lying position. "Hey, I wasn't going to let you die on me!"  
  
Amelia jumped on Zel's chest to get a better position, also keeping the chimera pinned down. "Don't worry, this won't take more than a minute or two." The princess motioned for the swordsman's help to hold Zelgadis still. "Keep his other shoulder down, ok?"  
  
"Not a bloody problem," said Gourry, taking his position.   
  
Zelgadis sweat dropped. "What's going on...hey wait a minute! You're not thinking of-"  
  
Em covered his mouth with her hand. "Just hold on a sec. You'll feel a sudden pain and pass out again. Then you'll wake up again and it will be all over. OK?"  
  
"Wait a minute, I take it back! A backwards arm is a good thing!" The chimera growled again at the shot of loving pain, the group tried to undo their boo-boo. "Damn it!" he said, biting his lip.  
  
The scientist frowned. "Curses, that pitch is some strong stuff. Let's try twisting it off."  
  
The chimera let out a stream of curses in an attempt to cover up his pain.   
  
"Ano...this isn't working. It's no good." Amelia twisted herself on top of the chimera's chest for another try, positioning her rear over Zelgadis' face in a very un princess like manner.   
  
"Wait a minute, what if we..." said Em, trying to avoid Zelgadis from hearing her words to Amelia and Gourry.  
  
Zel had just managed to hear a few choice words, his face turning white at the conflicting thoughts.  
  
"Hey, you bloodly all need some help?" It was Marie's father, with a giant pickaxe cradled in his arms. "This little baby works quite a bit of magic." The crazy older man swung the axe like a man possessed, accidentally gashing the wall behind him.  
  
Marie looked up at what her father did. "Oh, that's a big one..."  
  
"Ahh, just what I needed," said Em, motioning the old man closer. "Something sharp..."  
  
"Aaaaagh!!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Amelia came down the stairs, her eyes bloodshot from the fireworks the night before. Em was already up and about, sitting by one of the larger windows in an armchair, sipping some morning tea with a little fresh lemon. Next to Em in a matching armchair was Marie's father, talking bloody hell about something or another, a seaworthy tall tale about fish people ruling the seas again. The scientist was taking in the tale under advisement.  
  
"Morning," said the princess, plopping down next to the scientist in her own chair. She was clearly not a morning person.  
  
"How's Zel doing? You were checking on him every hour, weren't you?" said Em, pouring herself a spot of hot water back into her teacup.  
  
"Hai," blushed the brunette. "He's still sleeping like a baby." She let out a little morning yawn, politely covering her mouth. "Gourry is watching him for the next couple of hours."  
  
"Sounds good. I've got the evening shift, if that's all right," said Em. "The poor guy went through it rough last night, he's probably going to sleep for the next day or so."  
  
"Smells good. Herbal?"  
  
"It's great, isn't it? I haven't had mint tea like this in years." Em took a small sip and smiled.  
  
Amelia nodded as she poured herself a cup. She wasn't at all hungry, but hopefully the fresh herbs in the tea would calm her nerves. She pitched forward, remembering the mirror in her pocket for a second. She really needed to talk to a friend.  
  
"I'll be back in a second..." The princess got up and strolled over to the other side of the inn.  
  
Marie's father, almost sleeping his full-backed chair, spoke up from his appearing slumber. "She's a little bloody unnerved, isn't she?"  
  
Em sipped her tea again and leaned back in the chair. "Hai, she is. But she loves the stubborn baka." The scientist turned her attention back to Marie's father. "So is the mansion still there?"  
  
"Of course it's there, you'd better bloody believe it. But no one goes to the northern part of the island anymore."  
  
"Huh? Why not?"  
  
"Well, I hear of reports of ships going by, unknown flags from a northern kingdom with lots of money. They never stop there, but their course could only lead to your father's point. I've also heard the northern tip is ringed by some strangers, if someone were to go there, they would never come back."  
  
"Invaders?" asked the scientist.  
  
He shook his head. "For what? There's nothing valuable here!"  
  
Em acknowledged the news. "I know, I'll be careful. But I have to go up there." She set the saucer down. "The only way I'm going to save him is by retrieving my father's legacy. I just hope we're not too late."  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
A few townsmen were spending their afternoon fishing on their familiar run down pier. With no arriving ships on the schedule, it was a happy and thus wasteful day for the many dockworkers.  
  
One of the old locals caught a fish and pulled it up. "Yum, it looks like I have my dinner all set!"  
  
"Inverse Tax! Coming through!" Biru made a swipe for the fish, capturing the fluttering carp in his grasp. "Thanks for lunch, friend!"  
  
"Hey!" exclaimed the local, reaching out unsuccessfully for his meal. "What do you think you're doing!"  
  
"Biru!" boomed Thoth from behind him. "What do you think you're doing!" Both of the old man's hands were firmly attached to his hips, quite annoyed by Biru's crazy actions.   
  
"Uh, Inspector Thoth!" The crazy innkeeper whirled around at his new supervisor. "I was just informing the locals of our new taxes the this region." Biru's stomach growled in protest as the same time the fish did a little quiver in his hands. "Fresh sashimi?" he said, offering the seafood over like a peace offering.  
  
"Give it back," said Thoth, producing a fishing pole at the same time. "We're going do it the old fashioned way."  
  
Biru slumped. "You've got to be kidding me. Oh well..." He swiped the pole from Thoth's grasp, eager to catch his meal.  
  
A sudden rush of water hit the broken dock as the sea turned nasty. The ocean splashed up and sprayed the two of them heavily with water. Biru looked down at his missing meal, his carp taken back by the sea.  
  
"What in the world!" said the local, "How could you lose my meal!"  
  
Thoth was about to say something when the sound of crunching could be heard from directly underneath the broken dock. Then something poked through the decking -- dark and menacing from out of the sea. It slammed from out of the water and through the broken planks, flying wood apart into the sky.   
  
"Cepheid help us!" yelled Biru as both Thoth and the innkeeper hit the cold water.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Xellos appeared on the roof of the inn of Pellsbury, scanning the sea horizon with his hand over his eyebrows. He took a sniff of sea air and frowned.   
  
"Well, I thought I'd find you here," said Joe. The diminutive Mazoku stepped forward from out of the astral plane and tapped his foot impatiently.  
  
"Come to see what all the fuss is about? It's so nice of you to join me." Xellos didn't bother to turn is head around to greet his comrade. "I was hoping you'd be busy with Turnip and your pet project."  
  
The smaller Mazoku groaned. "Mind your own business, beastmaster's servant"  
  
"Ano, I wasn't the one who grew an extra tail. Partners like that can be fun, my friend."   
  
Joe ignored his fellow Mazoku, stomping around on the roof like a man possessed with conflicts that no moral could ever help to have.  
  
Xellos continued to look out on the sea, as if awaiting for a ship to appear. But his keen mind saw something else. He smiled on the inside.  
  
Rather well satisfied with the result, he turned his head finally towards Joe. "So, I am right. Lines have been drawn in the sand." And he mockingly bowed and disappeared. "Be careful who you play with," mockingly said Xellos from the astral plane. "They like to bite back."   
  
And then he was gone.  
  
"Baka," said Joe, his mind reeling. "What is he up to now?" The diminutive Mazoku watched the sea and spotted what was coming up, quite mortified with Xellos' cunning scheme. "Oh, that's quite annoying. How did she know to come here?" And Joe put to all together. "Of course. I should have known," he said, disappearing from sight.   
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
And who was she? She was M'desa, mother of the sea, queen of all crustaceans, basically the 'one in charge' of all crabs. M'desa was mostly a sullen beast, preferring to stay at the bottom of the deepest oceans while feeding off the carcasses of whales and sharks, meals that her minions would bring to her from time to time. She abhorred sunlight and surface dwellers, preferring to let her 'children' do her dirty work with their tiny claws. She never came up for anything, for that was her way.   
  
Except for now.  
  
For in one of her two claws were the remnants of her son, an old top hat with its lid blown out. Over the years, she had many, many children; but only one crab had ever been her son, the first one of her own flesh and blood. When her son didn't come during his appointed visit, she sent her children to find out why. They brought back his old top hat and the scent of death, and that his underwater home had been destroyed by such surface dwellers. It was then her restraints faded away.  
  
For the first time in centuries she walked on land, taking out her sadness and anger on surface dwellers who lived close by. And the only way to do revenge was to it personally.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Em heard the commotions even before looking out the window. Screaming townspeople running for their lives as one home after another was being demolished by the giant crab. When she finally looked out the window, she saw the beast was even larger than she could have ever imagined. The scientist was horrified at watching a giant claw smash through a nearby house, ripping roof and walls apart with ease.  
  
"Big looking sucker. Must be at least two stories tall." Zelgadis was standing there, supported by Amelia a bit as he limped toward the window.   
  
"Where's Gourry?" asked Em.  
  
"He's helping Maria and her dad evacuate the inn," said Amelia, smiling a bit as she leaned on the chimera. "I think most of the people are out."  
  
"Good." The scientist pointed out the window at the gargantuan beast. "So, are we going to take that nasty thing down? You've got a plan?"   
  
Zelgadis held up the bucket of pitch. "Uh-huh. It's about time I get to use this stuff."  
  
Em chuckled. "Heh, I'm not used to this hero stuff at all. It must be contagious."  
  
The chimera looked down at Amelia and beamed. "Yea, must be..."  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
M'desa was looking for human victims. She was moving through the port town, destroying buildings in her fruitless search for fleshy victims. The humans had long since gone; she cursed that her small window of opportunity for revenge had closed after her appearance from out of the sea.   
  
Something struck her from behind that could only be described as a hot flash of heat. Her entire body was well protected with armor; yet such attacks were sharp and annoying. She twisted her giant body around and saw a cloaked human. And then, another ball of flame struck her in her face, shot from his location. Angrily at being fooled, she roared and charged the target of attack.  
  
M'desa chased after the puny human of flesh, darting her claws ahead her point of attack. She just missed the human as he would roll or tumble out of her range. The queen crab was getting quite frustrated as her path retraced through the port to back near the docks where she had landed.   
  
And suddenly there was another human with fire on an end of a stick. The girl was waving it close to her underside, the pain was becoming more than an annoyance. Out of instinct, she chased the human the other way... and then her target was flying...  
  
She cursed, thinking the figure was actually running on the blackened ground. It was too late now, for she suddenly found herself unable to move.   
  
The mother of all crabs looked down to see what was underneath her body. Instinctively, she touched the black glossy surface with her claw, but it too was stuck fast as well. All M'desa could do was snarl in frustration.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"We got her!" Em jumped up from her hiding place behind some barrels, in her hand was an empty bucket of pitch and brush.   
  
Zelgadis looked up at the struggling beast. "So, what are we going to do with this thing?"   
  
A few of the adventurous townspeople were already coming back to the village. There was a look of glee on their faces, something definitely was on their minds.  
  
"Why are they looking at the giant crab so strangely?" asked Amelia to Marie's father.  
  
"Because," he said as he smacked his lips in delight, "we're going to have quite a bloody feast of royal crab legs and roe."  
  
"Ewww..." muttered Amelia.  
  
The queen let out very loud, angry shrill that deafened the audience. Everyone shrinked to the ground instinctively covered their ears, causing them to squirm in pain. A few second later and it was over.  
  
"What in the world?" said the chimera while cleaning out his ear. "That wasn't a normal yelp at all..."  
  
"Umm...I think that's the reason. And it doesn't look good." Em pointed out to the sea, the tide suddenly withdrawing itself from the beachhead. Everyone could see the choppy ocean waters were receding as a tsunami was forming off in the far distance.  
  
The princess raywinged up a pole and yelled to the hushed crowd. "Everybody run!" Amelia frantically gestured for the scampering crowd to escape for higher ground.   
  
"We can't leave the city," said Zel, pointing to the queen crab. "What if we took refuge on the roof of the inn? After all, it's the tallest building in the port. Right?"  
  
Amelia blinked. "Sounds good to me!"  
  
With the help of the chimera and Amelia, Em, and Marie's father were all brought back to the roof of the inn. Marie and brought Gourry to the roof as well, thinking the same thing as chimera.  
  
The group watched from afar as the wave crashed into the edge of town, uprooting the sea-facing homes and stores alike. The wave of water swept into the port city, bringing in debris as the wave flooded the port streets. The hulled boat that had once made it home by the broken dock swept into the center of the town as if a manned ship on the wave of the tsunami. Almost like a normal docking, the derelict craft creaked into position as it parked itself comfortably right next to the inn.  
  
As the tsunami wave withdrew, the water left hundreds of the queen's little crab minions everywhere. The children of M'desa covered the streets in a sea of crustaceans. Like their mother, they crawled up the outside of the inn towards the roof in the name of vengeance.   
  
"Eeep!" screamed Amelia, as a line of crabs ascended to their position.   
  
The chimera fired a fireball at the advancing crustaceans, destroying the bunch in a fire while cooking their shells orange.  
  
The mysterious priest popped in behind Zelgadis and Amelia rather suddenly. "Ano...how is everyone?" The Mazoku ducked for a second just as Amelia turned around to shoot a flare arrow at the opposite side of the roof.   
  
"Xellos!" shot back Zel. The chimera was too busy using his sword to hack attacking crabs by his feet. He had no time to bother with the mysterious priest. "Can't you see we're a little busy?"   
  
"Hmmm..." A single crab tried to latch onto Xellos' foot. The purple priest's reaction was to simply raise and lower his staff for a second, making such an ugly crunch by his feet.  
  
"Maybe you could help us out in this case?" said Amelia, kicking a couple of loose crab off the roof with her feet.   
  
"Well..." Xellos leaned his cane a little closer to the roof in slight pose of humility. He rubbed at his chin for good measure but quickly changed his mind by returning to his stoic nature. "I think not."   
  
Em looked up at the mysterious guest and thumbed at his presence to Amelia. "You mean you don't care that this guy isn't helping us?"  
  
"What? And chase our friend away?" said Amelia while shaking her head. "Xellos has helped out many times before: saving our skin, the world, and you know, that kind of stuff."  
  
Xellos sweat dropped. "Saving the world? When did I do that?"   
  
The kind heart princess took a second to stomp with her feet on some nearly crabs, their claws getting a little too close. She took some delight in twisting the meaty seafood into the roof shingles. "After all, it isn't like he caused this whole thing."  
  
"Ano..." The Mazoku did a couple of quick turns of the head as if a spot of trouble was nearby, then initiated a sneak away on his tip toes. Looking back to see if he got away cleanly, he ran smack into another human. "Oops, excuse me."  
  
"How in bloody Cepheid did you get up here?" asked Marie's father.  
  
"Actually," smiled the Mazoku, "Cepheid has nothing to do with it."  
  
The man pointed at the mysterious priest and opened his mouth, suddenly stuck dumb by Xellos' statement. "Oh?"  
  
The mysterious priest looked around and knew he didn't have the luxury of time to stick around. "If you will excuse me," he said, "Ta ta!" before bowing and disappearing from sight.  
  
"Oh...yeah? Well then..." Marie's father poked at his head at the strange meeting. "That guy there is certainly a strange one..."  
  
His thoughts stopped cold as an explosion from the house next door shook the air. As the group turned, they saw the giant claws of the Queen crab carve through their neighbor's house like it was a dinner snack.  
  
"Yikes!" screamed Amelia as she took a couple of steps back. "I think we're next!"   
  
In an instant, M'desa was next to the inn, looking at all her children smashed and killed by the humans. She let loose a angry shrill at the carnage before charging the humans.   
  
"I don't like the look at this," gloomed Em, "One thing worse than one giant crab is one giant-pissed off crab."  
  
"Duck!" shouted the chimera as everyone stooped M'desa's opening blow of her giant claw. She barely missed Zelgadis, hitting the roof and causing quite of hole in the ceiling floor.   
  
"Come on everyone! Let's get inside before that creature of the sea decides to wank us." From out of nowhere, Marie's father pulled up a trap door, revealing a slanting escape chute with a ladder running along the top for repelling.  
  
"I didn't know there was a passage to the roof," said Marie. She looked down the tunnel into the second-story hallway of the inn. "When were you going to tell me this was here?"  
  
"Never actually, 'cause you didn't bloody ask!" Marie's nutty father was already helping Em and Amelia down the ladder.  
  
Marie shrugged her shoulder, and decided to go with the plan. She jumped into the chute with help from her father and disappeared down the rabbit hole, using the ladder as a brace to go down. "Gee, it sure is dark in here..."  
  
"Just keep going!" Marie's father looked back up to see Zel fighting the crab creature's claws. So far, the chimera was winning the comical battle: for when M'desa got too close, the chimera would jump out with is left arm spinning, and knock into the top shell of the queen crab, causing her to wobble for a minute or two.   
  
Gourry came right behind the Innkeeper's father and looked down the tunnel. Instead of using the ladder to repel himself, he jumped in head first and slid down the tunnel chute with full kowabunga action. The charging Gourry smacked into the ladies near the far end of his slide, shooting the path instantly clear.  
  
"Oh, that's going to hurt," said Zelgadis, tied up at the moment. The queen crab tried a bull-run into the building, leaving the chimera had both of his hands on one of the giant claw's, trying to make sure it wouldn't snap around his stony body.  
  
"...what were you thinking?" said one of the girls while the others collected themselves.  
  
"...sorry..." pleaded the swordsman, almost sobbing.  
  
"OK, who's next?" said Marie's crazy dad, laughing at the battling chimera.  
  
The giant crab had Zel by the waist stuck in her claw. When she tied squeezing the flesh out of him, it only caused her claw blades to break apart.  
  
"Nice try, but sometimes I'm a hard nut to crack these day," he grinned.  
  
M'desa didn't give up as she captured the chimera again. She smashed his body continuously against the building, like beating the stuffing out an old teddy bear. The side of the inn was shaking from the whole experience, finally caving in as he dropped like a demolition ball to the hallway below.   
  
"Oooh, that's got to hurt," said Marie's father as he scampered away.  
  
The group minus Marie's father gathered themselves together on the second story of the inn. "Are you OK, Zel?" asked Amelia as they helped the chimera off the floor.   
  
Zelgadis was busy knocking the cobwebs out of his head. "I'm fine," he said, dusting debris off his cape. "No missing arms this time."   
  
Em and Gourry were too busy looking at the large open window that faced the front of the inn. They could see the giant crab's body lower itself to their level.  
  
"Shh....don't move," whispered Em, but it was far too later. The movements had already been too tempting even for M'desa. Once the giant crab saw the shadows moving behind the glass, she attacked without abandon.  
  
Windows broke as the girls ducked just in the nick of time. The giant claw swung though the hallway like an earthquake splitting the inn. There wasn't really anyplace to hide for protection with no tables nor chairs in place. Just doors to other guest bedrooms, the only way to get out of the unprotected hallway.   
  
"Quick, in here!" The chimera opened a nearby door without even looking, motioning for everyone to draw into a room.  
  
"Wait a minute!" said Marie but she didn't speak up loud enough.  
  
Without much thought, Gourry the girls followed Zelgadis into the pitch-black room. The tightly sprung door closed just as quickly, snapping shut.  
  
Darkness.   
  
It was also snug. No, it was quite snug for the five of them. This wasn't a guest room...it was a closet.  
  
" Zel? Why the linen closet?" said Amelia.  
  
The chimera kicked the wall. "How was I supposed to know this was a linen closet?"  
  
Marie tried to jingle the door open, but apparently it wasn't cooperating. "Stupid linen door is locked from the inside. Wasn't he supposed to fix this thing last week?"  
  
"....bloody hell."  
  
"Be quiet Gourry," deadpanned Zelgadis.  
  
"Oh, OK."  
  
Silence.  
  
The door's knob shook again. "Someone want to give me a hand in getting this thing open?" asked Marie.  
  
"Love to, but I'm afraid I'm kind of trapped here on the other side," responded Em.  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Doesn't anyone have a torch?" asked Amelia, her voice rather tired. "How about a match?"   
  
"I do have some in my back pocket," said Em, "I could get it if someone would stop smashing my favorite hand..."  
  
"Ano," muttered Zelgadis. "At least you don't have someone using your body as a shelf."  
  
"Oh, is that you?" said rather preoccupied Marie, "and I thought that was the wall?"  
  
The chimera sweat dropped.   
  
"How are we getting out of here?" asked princess from Saillune, her voice tone turning irritable.  
  
Zel tapped his foot. "I don't know, but that door is going to be blasted down in about thirty seconds."  
  
"One, you have to realize that I'm in front of the door," said Marie, "and two, I don't think my human body could take a spell this close."  
  
"There's plenty of cushioning back here," said the blond swordsman while squirming around for a better position. "I'm sure we could use it for protection."  
  
"Ummm, Gourry?" chimed in Amelia, "that's not cushioning..."  
  
"Get me out of here!" Zel screamed a new octave even for him. "Now!"  
  
The door swung open as if on request. "Did someone call?" Marie's father blinked at seeing the rest of them packed in the closet like sardines. "I've been meaning to get that door fixed for some time." The damage was so extensive that the motion of the door swinging open caused it to fall off the frame with a thud. "Oh, wow...that did it."  
  
The group squinted at the sunlight before exiting the cramped space. "Ugh," said the princess, "that was horrible!"  
  
"Where did the crab beast go?" said Zelgadis, seeing a stray crab walking along the broken hallway that was suddenly open to the sky. He took his sword out and smacked the pest dead in its tracks.   
  
"The bloody thing took off for a second, I think she found her claws into kitchen on the first floor," said Marie's father. A rattle of pots and pans could be heard in the distance. "Yup. I'd definitely say the kitchen."  
  
"That thing is an eating machine," said Amelia. "No way a kitchen seafood will hold that thing at bay."  
  
Em nodded her head. "But what are we going to use to take down that thing?" She rubbed her short red hair in reflex. "My guess is we'll need some pretty fancy chaotic spells to blow that sucker up."  
  
A little bit of thinking had the chimera suddenly snapped his fingers. "Right. You've just given me the perfect idea."  
  
The scientist gulped. "I...did?"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Livid and bent on revenge is what you could describe for the crab queen M'desa. In her vain attempt to kill the humans who had destroyed her son and so many of her children, she had been captured, barbequed, and tortured. She basically would have walked through fire just to quench her own thirst for revenge.   
  
The mighty beast's search had devastated the largest building in the port city. The inn's roof was gone, peeled open like a sardine can. The top floor was partly open by the front, her claw's handiwork easily getting into the meat of the structure. But she could not locate her pray, her scent had directed her attention to the back of the building where she broke in and found fresh seafood to enjoy.   
  
But the food only gave M'desa a taste as she continued to ransack the building. She wasn't making much headroom when she was stung with the familiar pounding of a fireball in the back, the impact of the blast pushing her giant body into the next building.   
  
M'desa roared furiously while turning around. It was one of the foolish humans, the caped blue-skinned one who had trapped her earlier. The human shot another bolt of energy from his sword, striking her underbelly.  
  
She jolted after the annoying human, around the inn and back to an area she had just been to. Another bolt of energy hit her from the inn's roof, another one from one of those annoying humans. M'desa saw her, a short human female in her white outfit darting though the open-aired hallways. She watched as the girl opened one of the interior doors and closed it quickly, trying to avoid her appearance.   
  
Ah-ah, there go you little bugger, thought M'desa. Trying to get away from me. Well, you must have hidden in there last time. Not this time, human.   
  
She threw her claws at the door, smashing it to pieces. The room was tiny -- if it at all could be called a room. But what got M'desa's attention was a swirling image of magic. M'desa could swear she saw something that looked like a mirror image of herself. But it disappeared and reflected back a human girl's face, nodding a bit to the giant crab.  
  
"Hey, one second!" said the redhead. This got M'desa's interested as she leaned closer to take a look.   
  
The girl in the image was quite busy, molding something in her hands, her chanting changing from intense concentration to enjoyment as she looked back up at the queen mother. "I've got a surprise for you..." She showed a little grin as she turned her hands up-  
  
"Dragon Slave!!"  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Amelia poked herself up from a hole recently made with Em and Marie's help through the linen closet's floor. She looked around and grinned back at her fellow members, yelling warmly. "She's done!"  
  
"Really?" said Marie, scurrying up to take a look. "Oh, wow! That is so cool!"   
  
Indeed, where the living flesh of a crab had been was a bright orange, all roasted and ripe to perfection.  
  
"We got her?" shouted Em from the first floor, looking up at the other two.  
  
"Hai. She's cooked all right." Marie looked around the second floor of her inn -- there wasn't much left except for a room here or there, most of the floor has been blown sheer off by the dragon slave. "My poor inn..."  
  
The princess of Saillune was busy chatting congratulations to Lina via the mirror. "That was great! It worked exactly like Zelgadis said."  
  
Lina sweat dropped. "Hai," she said, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. "I'm glad I could help."  
  
"Indeed," said Zelgadis, closely behind the brunette. "The force of the blast was controlled tightly by the mirror's constraints, it only blew up this building and nothing else. It resulted in a concentrated Dragon Slave."  
  
"Really?" said Lina, nodding her head. "I'll have to keep that in mind..."  
  
Gourry was on the street, behind him the townspeople were looking up at the giant cooked crab. A few of the adventurous ones were already carving the great beast up and carrying pieces of the flesh home.   
  
"What's going on?" as Amelia watched Marie's father dig into the carcass of the giant crab and pull one of its longs legs back into the kitchen of the inn. In fact, all the locals were digging into the crab with happy grins all over their faces.   
  
"It's food, and not just any special food." Marie smiled as she directed a couple of her servers to fetch some of the meat. "Just like dragon cuisine is relished, royal crab is the stuff of legends." She held out a strip of the crab meat, the pinkish flesh seemed to glitter in the sunlight. "A few weeks of smoking and drying, and this town will be flowing again with strangers from abroad." She leaned back in satisfaction. "You know, all of you saved the town."  
  
"We did?" said Em, her face expression very surprised. "That's great! But...." She twisted her foot into the ground in shyness. "I just don't like seafood, that's all."  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
It was early next morning on the port dock where everyone met. Marie and her father were there with sacks of fresh food for the rest of them, in appreciation for saving their town. Even though thanks had already been passed around during dinner the night before, it was their well wishes for escorting them early the next morning.  
  
A delivery sailing ship had docked before dawn, ready to pass on the exciting news of royal crab in the port of Pellsbury. It also served as a passenger ship back to the mainland, the only weekly passage away from the island.  
  
"All aboard!" One of the crew was yelling, motioning the approaching chimera to board the ship. Zelgadis was feeling quite proud in himself as he took a step toward the ship, for saving the town and all. It was just enough to slightly dent all the depressing things happening to him -- his condition, his health...basically, everything else.   
  
He was about to board the walkway when Em tugged at his cloak, pulling him back onto the dock. "We're not going."  
  
"What? Why not!" Zel stomped around like an angry dragon, unexpectedly furious. "We have to get back to the Sheik's city! You know, the mainland?" he pointed east. "It's the only way we're going to make it to the City of the Clouds."  
  
Em looked up into the chimera's eyes. "We'll never make it in your condition..."  
  
"What do you mean, my condition?" He faced away from the scientist. "What's happening to me is none of your business. I know you helped me out before, but if you want to stay here...that's your business, not mine."  
  
"No, that's not what I meant." Em turned her head around and looked along the beach. "We've got to get north back to my old home. I may have something there to help you. I just hope...it isn't too late."  
  
Zel nodded his head as he turned his back to Em. "I'm not going. I swore Lina that I would get to the Sheik's city in two days. From that city, the journey south is still a couple of days away, to the icy hills where the City of the Clouds will appear. We have no time to sightsee for my own benefit. This passage is the only way."  
  
"Listen to her, Zel," said Amelia, stepping up to the conversation. "I know she's right. You haven't got a prayer to make it to the City of the Clouds in time. If you go, you'll be a statue by the time you reach the Sheik's city."  
  
"Stay out of this!" roared the chimera, walking away a few feet before storming back for some more words. He pointed to the princess of Saillune. "You have no business telling me what's right and wrong. It's always justice for this and justice for that. Now when I want to do something unselfish, just, and help someone, you tell me it's wrong."  
  
"It is wrong!" Amelia let out a little whimper yet held her ground. The old Amelia from a few weeks ago might have fled, her emotional shell broken open like an egg. But the petite brunette was stronger, standing firmly with both feet firmly in front of the chimera.   
  
"You told me to stay by your side," she avowed. "You told me 'you carry out your deepest desires, no matter the cost.'" Zelgadis tried to open his mouth and interrupt her tirade, but the brunette cut him off. "All that stuff back there, all of it poured out and I listened to every last word. And then I agreed to do what you wish, even swearing to it. Yes, I swore."  
  
Amelia stepped forward. "However, dear Zel. My promise comes with a price, a very high price indeed. And that is that we help you from now on. Period."  
  
"But..." The chimera was wordless to say anything else.  
  
"But nothing. We're in this together. That means you and me." She pulled the scientist closer as Gourry came up from behind. "And Em. And Gourry. You don't have a choice."  
  
The chimera knew the handwriting was on the wall, looking at the three of his friends. He crossed his arms in frustration, giving up. "Fine. Where are we going then?"  
  
"Really?!" The girls ran up the chimera and almost huggled the poor chimera. After a few embarrassing minutes, Zelgadis managed to peel off the glomping ladies.   
  
"That's enough now," he said, brushing his cloak back into place. "Now, Em...Where are we going?"  
  
"To a place only a day's journey from here," she said, pointing up the beach line north. "My old place where I worked and lived with my father. Hopefully, it's still there. I really do wish so."  
  
"Well, it's my funeral," said Zel, opening his hand up as a sign of forgiveness. "Lead the way."   
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Biru and Thoth were in a rented rowboat with the old man directing the former innkeeper and creator of 'Inverse Tax' to paddle faster. Quite strange how Biru had started to respect Thoth once he learned of his 'inspector' identity. Yet, they almost acted like partners now in their own personal quests.  
  
They hit the side of the delivery ship gently. With quick precision, they lashed themselves to the side of the larger craft. "Won't anyone notice that we're stowaways along for the ride?" said Biru, "It's not like we paid for a ticket."  
  
"Shhhh..." hushed Thoth as he tried to listen above deck.  
  
"I know to be quiet," scolded the whispering Biru, "We should hear them above deck. You can make out that whiney little priss-"  
  
The old man's eyes wandered away from above as he spotted something else in the distance. "Biru! Biru!"  
  
"...what! I can't hear them!"  
  
Thoth pushed Biru on the shoulder while pointing away from the ship. "Ummm..."   
  
"Yes..." The annoyed innkeeper finally turned around to see what all the hubbub was. "Crap! They're walking up the coastline!" Eager the follow, the experienced cook whipped out his trusty meat cleaver and lowered it onto the lashings with the other ship.   
  
The rowboat suddenly lurched forward, the tide kicking them roughly the larger craft. "Quickly! We'll have to catch up with them over the open seas." Thoth took a look up the beach at Lina's friends, standing up for a second.   
  
Biru shifted in the boat, pushing the craft away from the docked ship. The second sudden shift caused old man Thoth to fall into the craft with a loud thunk. Biru muttered a curse, loud enough for the old man to hear.  
  
Thoth turned around in the rowboat, looking back at their oars floating in the water. "Damn, we're so screwed..."  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
The chimera watched Amelia and Gourry dance up ahead along the romantic beach. The waves were lightly pounding the shoreline; the sun's rays were giving the water a rather sparkling effect. The land north of the port city was much more sparser with sand dunes, rocky hills, and generally low-lining shrubbery. But unlike a desert, the land teemed with life, untouched from mankind's wrath.   
  
A little farther down the beach Em and Zelgadis walked side by side. The scientist had taken off her shoes and strung them over her shoulder, the laces tied together. She calmly walked along, letting her bare feet carry her over water logged sand. It made for easier travel along the beach, the warm surf occasionally washing across her feet.   
  
Zel walked along the higher part of the beach, tackling the rougher sand with his greater weight. Travel for him was difficult, not just because of the ground conditions but because his own circumstances were worsening as well. Stiff wasn't it, but it more like slowness to react than anything. He knew that it was happening, he knew that Em and Amelia had been right. Yet, he refused to speak any more about it. It was none of their business after all.  
  
Em too knew what was slowly happening to the chimera's body. She had figured that the chimera only had a day or two at most. Yet, she didn't let it fester in her mind, preferring to dwell on returning to her former home.  
  
Amelia and Gourry were walking in front of them like two little kids, playfully telling each other little gossips. The blond swordsman stopped for a second to look down at a horseshoe crab, he lifted the crustation into the air for the princess to see. Amelia took great interest in the sea creature, tickling its bottom in a lighthearted manner. The poor horseshoe crab could only run its legs helplessly in the air. It was funny how they were playing with crabs after almost perishing to one the day before.  
  
The scientist broke the silence while the looking ahead at Amelia and Gourry. "You really care about her, don't you?"   
  
"Hai." Zel was trying his best to stay wrapped up in his cloak, but the wind was making it rather difficult to stay covered up.   
  
"Then why don't you say something to her?"  
  
The chimera swallowed his breath, the difficult words coming off of his chest. "I don't share...what I feel. Emotions are such a bother."  
  
"I notice that you never talk about anything, don't you?" blinked the scientist.  
  
Zel nodded. "True. But then, I don't talk much to anyone unless I have something to say."  
  
Em chuckled. "Actually, you're doing a good job of it right now."  
  
The chimera flashed a little smile from behind his stony exterior. "Maybe you're right. Only time will tell me the truth."  
  
They looked up in the distance, as beach and hillside became a rocky ledge that overlooked the sea; the cliff side rising in elevation as they headed north. The heights of the cliffs were quite dramatic in the distance, with the sea splashing on rough rocks below, the sheer drop off was 100 feet or more. Their eyes followed up along the edge of the cliffs until it ran to a small cluster of houses in the far horizon. This was indeed the northernmost point in the island, the rest bent away from Em and Zel's view. Clearly this was the destination in Em's mind.  
  
"Home. I did not ever think I'd return here in my lifetime," silently whispered the redhead. "Yet, each of us has to make sacrifices, each and every day of our lives. Mine just happens to be today." The scientist kicked at a random clump of dirt, trying to pass the time onward.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
It was dark by the time they closed in on their destination. The small cluster of houses as not a grouping, but a single manor-like castle long since deserted. Its stone building had multiple wings with elevated towers, a couple of them burned out from occasional lighting strikes to its wooden roofs. However, most of the central part of the manor seemed relatively intact.  
  
A weed-infected stone walkway snaked itself to the massive entrance of a double set of oaken doors. The engraved festive images warmly greeted visitors and invited guests to enter in.  
  
Em fished around in her pocket and produced a set of skeleton keys, taking the lead position to the front door. She slipped in her key but the door offered no locked resistance, as it swung open. "Come on," she said, waving the group into the mansion. "We may not have much time."  
  
Zel look mystified. "Time? Time for what?" The chimera had his sword out and lit; he was using it as the group's makeshift torch.  
  
The inside conditions didn't improve from the abandoned outside views. The once magnificent center foyer and vaulted wooden ceilings had collapsed in a quite a few places; now they were open aired to the sky as stars shone brightly through. Ancient tapestries hung on stone walls, their condition ruined by the many years of rain and moisture. The once luxurious designs reminded Zelgadis of Turnip's library, but he nodded it off as a coincidence.   
  
"Come on..." Em's words pushed them quickly through the large foyer.   
  
Amelia poked at a piece of furniture covered in white sheeting. Just nudging it with the tip of her finger caused a little dust cloud to rise, choking the poor princess of Saillune.  
  
"This stuff *cough* is so *cough* dirty!" said the brunette, trying to clear her way.  
  
The chimera waved the dust away with a flip of his cloak. The sudden timed movement was perfect, settling the clouds of filth into the ground. "Come on...."   
  
Gourry stopped at a painting over a larger fireplace in the center of the mansion. The subject was of a distinguished redheaded man, his face proud and smiling. In his smudged work-like hands he held the unmistakable chaos box, its energies swirling above. It was a snapshot of imagination, captured at that very moment of victory.  
  
"He looks familiar..." said Gourry, looking at the painting and then at Em. "You related to him?"  
  
Em nodded an affirmative. "I am." She took a good second to collect her thoughts. "Painted it on the very first day we activated the chaos box. Isn't it lovely?" As Em went on, the rest of them looked up at the picture in awe. "I can almost remember it like yesterday. You really should know..."  
  
Zel walked up next to Em and urged her on. "Then please, do tell."  
  
"I remember it was one of those rainy days, more than twelve years ago," explained Em. "I was just a kid, helping my father with errands while his assistants were prepping the box. For months before, they had tried in vain everything within the chaos box: gold, silver, diamonds, and magical items. Nothing at all in the drawings described how the chaos box worked.   
  
"Every day, I watched my father place items in and out of the chaos box only to later vent in frustration." Em took a breath and continued. "Then, one day, I was playing in the lab with my mineral and shell collection. I had all sorts of colored shells and rocks that I had collected along the beach. Even at 9 years old, I was determined to help my father with his work. And when he wasn't looking, I'd try a rock or a shell or two, and nothing would happen."   
  
"Several weeks later, I found all sorts of new shells and stones along the beach after a thunderstorm. That late afternoon, I snuck back into my father's lab with the new prizes to my collection. From watching my father before, I followed his earlier movements precisely; trying shells and rocks of every kind and generally causing a mess everywhere."  
  
Amelia snickered a bit, with Zelgadis shooting her dirty look to be quiet.  
  
"I was trying some rather dirty clam shells when my father came into the lab. He saw my muddy fingerprints everywhere, with broken shells on the ground and all his lab equipment scattered around in a mass. My dad immediately scolded me, trying to drag me back to the mansion in order to ground me, or something about keeping me in the mansion. I was a feisty, so on the walk halfway back to the house I managed to escape his grasp and ran back into lab. So determined I was to try one last time -- so much, that I placed in my most precious of finds in the chaos box: a crystal as clear as water itself, one of the last treasures that I had ever found along the beach."  
  
"A chaos stone..." said Zel.  
  
"Hai. And with a swirl of light and energy, the box lit up as brightly as the sun itself. My father rushed in at the explosion of light. He didn't understand at first that I had succeeded, but then he looked and looked again -- at the chaos box and into the top of it, and when he saw my crystal swirling with energies about..." Em dramatically paused as she wiped away the tears from her eyes. "My Cepheid, he was so thrilled with me. We hugged for the longest time, and then he ran to his assistants and commissioned this painting on the spot."  
  
Amelia took a step back. "Wow."   
  
There was an angry knock of timber outside, and the shouting of voices. "Someone's around, I think," said the swordsman.  
  
Em looked up for a second and cupped her ear to listen. "Out by the lab, they're behind the mansion."  
  
"Behind this place?" questioned Zel while turning his head.   
  
Em nodded an affirmative as there was another knocking of wood, much louder than the first time. "Come on," she said, waving the party out the back door. "It's just this way."   
  
The chimera lowered his sword after seeing ignited torches lighting their way. The four of them kept themselves close to the ground, hugging the moist earth on their knees.   
  
Em edged herself slowly up to the edge of a grassy embankment. As the scientist edged closer, she crawled head first to the top of the small hill, allowing her to overlook the illuminated area below. "We definitely have some company tonight, and oh boy, does it ever look familiar."   
  
Em's statement got Zel quite curious as he squirmed his way up the embankment to the top of the ridge. With one eye, he saw all of it and turned around on a dime. "I don't believe it! Another airship!"  
  
"What!" Amelia and Gourry shot up out of their stances and onto their feet to take a quick look. The other two pulled them down as quickly as they could.   
  
"Are you crazy? There's got to be at least a dozen guards around!" Zel scolded the two of them he searched his backpack, finally pulling out his telescoping lens and assembling it.   
  
"The laboratory is mostly an outside complex with a couple of small buildings for supplies..." Em's voice was quiet, as if she was experiencing deja vu. Even though the house was in shambles, this seemed more...reminiscent.  
  
The chimera turned back onto his stomach and examined the scene close at hand. His lens saw many details that would usually be missed by the darkness. First, the short dusty path down that led down the hill to the lower area -- dipping so far downward that it almost went all the way to the ocean. The narrow of path was lined on both sides by a cliff edge into the ocean. "What a place," he said, admiring the danger. "It has sea on both sides..."  
  
"Uh-huh, and it gets cut off most of the time," said Em. "We've got only an hour or so until the passage is totally blocked by the tide."  
  
"But that makes it so inaccessible!" exclaimed Amelia.   
  
"Well, we weren't using magic," said Em, "only capturing it."  
  
Zel pointed his telescoping lens up to the island itself. It was actually quite large, with groups of bushes and trees scattered sparsely around its edges. But the bulk of the island was teeming with busyness: a more than a couple of one-story buildings, several benches and tables, and then the largest item of all: the dry dock for the completed airship.  
  
"Quite a few new addition here, I can tell most of this is new. All of it is very interesting," flatly stated the chimera.  
  
The entire airship was docked in a manmade concave hole in the middle of the island. It was a warship -- not an old converted craft like Em's, but wider than taller with a hull that was more menacing than to any ship of the sea. Giant crossbows, catapults, and other dangerous weaponry lined the edges of the top deck like a spiked collar. Plus, it was huge: easily three times the size of Em's little craft and the largest ship they had ever seen in their lifetime, almost dwarfing the island that made its home.  
  
This ship had no huge airbag like Em's ship, but four smaller silver balloons floating along the length of the ship. "I don't know how that thing gets off the ground..." said the chimera, figuring the calculations in his head. "It's got to be magic."  
  
"Let me see..." said Amelia, just grasping for the telescope but missing.   
  
Zel looked along the side of the craft at an elevated table and set of chairs. With all the torches around for the workers and the layout of the tables, it was quite clear their leader was at the elevated head table. "My Cepheid, I don't even believe it. It's Turnip!"  
  
"You're kidding!" The princess succeeded this time in liberating the telescope out from the chimera's grasp. She took only second to look before exclaiming her displease. "That sure looks like him. And we all thought Lina toasted his ass, I've got to wonder how he survived."  
  
"Maybe he's a clone," said Gourry, thinking for once.  
  
"Could be," answered the chimera. "Someone with that much ego would probably clone himself for fun." Zel sharpened his lens a bit more. "But there's no jewel on his forehead, so unless there's been something new..."   
  
"Turnip?" asked Em, quite curious who this character was that the rest of them were befuddling. "You mean that's guy you ran into at Monte Darlo? Come on, let me see who this character really is." She took the telescope from Amelia and focused on the point where Zel was directing. "That's not Turnip, that's Francois!"  
  
"Francois?" said Zel, raising his eyebrows in surprise.  
  
Em raised a small first into the air, her emotions smoldering to a point of ignition. "That no-good, two-timing second assistant to my father. He was such a jerk!"   
  
The scientist took a second to check her anger, dropping the telescoping lens into Gourry's lap. "He disappeared after the accident, vanishing like a fart in the wind."  
  
"Wow..." said the swordsman, "They are really, really, small looking!"  
  
"Give me that thing!" Zelgadis swiped the telescope out of Gourry's hands and turned it around. "Try it this way..."  
  
"Oh...hai," sweat dropped Gourry, "that's much better."   
  
The scientist was as excited as boiling teakettle. "I've got an idea," she said, crawling away from the hill back toward the mansion. "It took me a while to remember, but I think there's another way..."   
  
The rest of the group looked dumbfound as they watched Em disappear back into the house. Em turned around and waved them in from the doorway. "Well don't just stand there, come on!"   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Turnip's mouth watered at the spread. The giant wooden table was covered from head to toe with some of the finest dishes in the land: roasted meats from the north, smoked salmon and whitefish from off the coast of the southern continent. Even rare fruits and vegetables from the sheik's city, from the private gardens of Uzumara, their sweet tasted most prized of all.   
  
He ate one fork full and after another with the lavishness of royalty. Everything was laid out on the region's finest china with golden utensils on the white tablecloth. Even the napkins were made from bolts of silks from the Sheik himself.   
  
Yet, all the riches of the world couldn't help him with the most important problem. "This food..." said the former human, "it does indeed taste strange." He lifted a drumstick of chicken and gnawed on it rather playfully. "Actually, it really doesn't have any flavor at all."  
  
"Some more wine, sir?" One of Turnip's expatriate guards from Monte Darlo came forward with a bottle, carefully placed in a silver ladle for serving. Once disobedient and one of the many that had fled with Biru, the former guard was now under Turnip's powers of slavery.  
  
"Yes, give me some..." Turnip watched as his slave poured wine into his silver goblet. He couldn't wait a second for the fermented juice to settle; he lifting the wine to his chain even before it had time to settle. For this wine was the Sheik's reserve, bottled from Uzumara's very own private vineyards.   
  
Turnip scowled and stared at the wine and the silver glass. He licked his lips and detected...nothing. Furiously, he smashed the precious goblet into the ground with such force that he flattened it.  
  
"Baka. Die for your mistake." He reached out with his new fangled powers and grasped his slave by the next. The puny guard didn't have time to react to the vortex of fire that instantly encircled his body. It was over before he could blink an eye, the guard reduced to a couple of pounds of smoky ash.   
  
"You nitwit." A rumbling from the darkened corner as the diminutive Mazoku came out. "You're dead already. You can't savor their food anymore."  
  
"I don't care." He popped a giant spoonful of caviar into his mouth, hoping the extreme saltiness would awake his taste buds. He frowned, dripping the fish eggs like saliva onto the ground. "Such an idiot...I am..."  
  
Joe looked down at the mess and ignored his subject's anguish. "Have you completed the airship? You are at least a day behind."  
  
"First it was important, then it wasn't. Now it's all about your precious airship. Can't you guys make up your mind?" Turnip got up from his chair and walked over to the design board. "However, Joe, I can offer you good news. Rest at ease, because this airship is very close to being...launched."  
  
The diminutive Mazoku nodded. "No more screw-ups?"   
  
The former human chuckled. "Nevermore. The combination of my muscle from Monte Darlo and the reins you has given in me have been very beneficial, I'd say."  
  
"Don't push your luck." Joe tapped at the top of the design board with his skinny wooden staff. "How many hours?"  
  
Turnip smirked. "We finish tonight and leave early in the morning, just after sunrise. The engine works already with the master key. Then it's two days to completing our task. I still don't know why we're doing it this way. After all, the key gives us total control!"  
  
Joe looked up with his eyes on Turnip as their sockets excitedly glowed blood red with his powers. "I am in charge here, Turnip. Listen to me, your master."  
  
The former human ignored his master's grandstanding, taking his fist and smashing his own drawings with glee, making the entire board collapse onto the ground. "Without me, dear Joe, you have nothing."   
  
He kicked the particle board, smashing it again. "You may have my soul, fellow Mazoku, but never my knowledge..." He looked at his Mazoku hand with had not even taken a cent of damage. "This time, its personal, my dear professor..."  
  
Joe took a step back from Turnip's rage. For all his tries, thought Joe, Turnip was still acting quite human -- feeding him the titillations of a Mazoku had not been enough. Turnip's egotistical mind was driving him insane.   
  
Plans would have to be altered, he thought. Soon, before Lina and her companions interfered any longer. Time was short -- the only way everything was to work was to go in a different direction.   
  
Joe turned back to his subject. "I have business to attend to. Expect me to come back by dawn's earliest light." He turned away and disappeared.  
  
Turnip chuckled. "I may be your subject, but I don't take orders lightly from anyone. Especially you, dearest traitor." He turned back to his slaves and demanded their attention. "Men! We finish tonight for the glory of Monte Darlo! May we plunder riches from the land. Now move it!"   
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
The group of Em, Zel, Gourry, and Amelia were back in the house, looking up at the portrait of Em's father hanging over the ancient mantle fireplace. Em was already there before the others, speaking up to her father -- quietly toned so one could hear the whispers but not the actual words.   
  
"Father," the scientist held as she clasps her hands in personal prayer, "please help me and my friends. Your legacy is the only way..." She finished her speech as quickly as she had started it.   
  
"OK, is everyone ready?" said the scientist.   
  
The group nodded in approval.   
  
Em let out a little funny grin as she stepped into the fireplace, her own height so low that she didn't even have to duck down.  
The rest of the group sweat dropped. "Um, Em..." said Zelgadis, "what are you doing?"  
  
"Come on..." she waved, getting everyone into the tight area within the fireplace. "I swear, it's not like yesterday."  
  
The men, especially Gourry, had to hunch into the fireplace in order to fit. It was certainly larger than their last escapades with a certain linen closet.  
  
Em reached up fooled around with the duct in the ceiling. She tugged on something as metal creaked, dropping a layer of black soot onto the whole group.  
  
"Oh my...I'd have to guess that was the wrong leaver."   
  
"Nothing I haven't been used to lately..." nonchalantly said the swordsman as he dusting himself off, shaking like a wet dog.  
  
"Gourry!" exclaimed Amelia as she became covered with a second layer of soot.   
  
"Oh...sorry..."  
  
"Ummm...OK." The nerve-racked scientist reached up to pull another leaver. A harsh metallic sound from above activated as the stone fireplace rattled to life, the familiarity of the sounds calming the scientist as she sighed.  
  
Everyone else was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Amelia gripped onto Zelgadis like her own personal teddy bear, while Gourry used the edge of the inner fireplace wall to brace herself during the shaking. Suddenly, the quaking stopped as the floor lowered itself downward below level ground.  
  
"Where are we going?" asked the chimera.  
  
"You'll see..." chimed the scientist.  
  
After a short decent, the makeshift elevator stopped at the far end of a deep cavern. Everyone hushed as pale moonlight entered and filtered from the ocean water, reflecting throughout the airy cavern. It was just enough light to tell that the underground grotto was tremendous huge.   
  
Zel raised his sword high above his head, illuminating the giant cavern. Even the high ceilings could be seen, a few bats acknowledged their presence with a few flaps of their wings. The moonlit ocean tide came in and softly crashed against a sandy beach, this taking up most of the cavern's area. A narrow rocky path ran along the right side and the edge of the cave to a small makeshift dock just big enough for a small wooden craft.   
  
"Oh wow..." said Amelia as the walked forward.   
  
"My father used this as the port for the laboratory, but he didn't tell anyone except me that he had connected the mansion and the underground terrain together." Em pointed up at the ceiling. "As you can see, we're right under the island now." Sure enough, they could make out a tiny bit of the hull of the airship through the ceiling of their underground grotto.  
  
As they walked down toward the craft, Zelgadis turned his sword blade up, looking at the cave walls. He was astonished by the simple painted frescos -- the skill rudimentary at best yet the colors were quite bold and bright. The combination of the humid air and slashes from the salty see that unexpectedly preserved the images like they had been painted yesterday.   
  
He could just make out the telling a story, with the simply drawn stick figures representing prehistoric humans. He stopped his thoughts for a second to ask a question. "Did you draw these, Em? They look quite recent."  
  
The scientist chuckled. "Silly boy, I didn't paint these. Look carefully and you'll see what they are..."  
  
The chimera did. A group of stick figures were running away from lightening and tornadoes; the usual god stuff of earlier times -- the prepensely to run away from such awesome power was quite the usual story.   
  
But there was something that struck him familiar with the inhuman power -- one, that it was elevated next to an image of the moon, the sun, and a cloud with lightening. Now it wasn't strange that lowly humans thought that such gods were heavenly creatures. What was strange was that other stick figures were drawn as companions to their sky-like figures.  
  
One of the god stick figures was holding up a tray above his head with a image of a rudimentary box on top. From above the box poured the energies of the unnatural -- of swirling winds, of energies unknown. A chaos box.  
  
"These are the drawings..." Zel looked over the sequence, finding one more that was a glowing chaos box. An arrow led to another drawing of the same chaos box sans the glowing effect, and the unmistakable chaos stone.  
  
"I see...so that's how you discovered the inner workings of a chaos box..." The chimera thumbed at the rudimentary paintings for more clues, but other sections of the wall were too eroded for clues.   
  
Gourry looked up at the colorful frescos. "Seems rather simple to me."  
  
Zelgadis grinned. "Hai."  
  
They continued to walk along the underground bay until they reached the dock where the ship was docked. It was a narrow vessel that was only fathom wide yet its length was an impressive 40 feet or more. Yet it was unlike any sailing ship Lina's friends had ever seen before.   
  
"Where are the sails?" asked Amelia, looking upon the ship with a great amount of interest. "I think they're missing..."  
  
The chimera looked at the craft as well. "There's no rudder or wheel in the back of the ship, just...a levers..."  
  
But Em was not surprised but flabbergasted at the existence of the sleek craft. "That obsequious baka. Francois built it from my father's plans. She laid a hand on the craft and rubbed the polished wood in awe. "One of my father's legacies..."  
  
Zel pointed to the craft. "And how does it work without wind power? I don't even see hole for the mask."   
  
Em looked down at her feet. "I wish I still had a chaos stone to operate it...yet...my father's legacy..."  
  
The princess of Saillune leaned against the redheaded scientist. "Don't worry, we'll take care of that Turnip."  
  
"Yea, we're going to try," pondered the chimera as he scratched his chin. "I just don't know how."  
  
"Come on!" Em ran down the path from the docked ship, the rest of Lina's comrades in tow. "Let's try to get a closer look..."   
  
The path took a sudden sharp upward at the mouth of the cavern, half-circling around the lip until it was level with the above ground. Em just stopped short of being spotted as she diverted up to behind a tree and some shrubs. The group closely followed the scientist, well hidden away from Turnip and his goons.  
  
Amelia twisted her head in several directions, trying to get her bearings. "Where are we? I could swear we only went to..." She was dumbfounded until the chimera turned her head straight ahead at the mansion on the far hill, almost covered up by the airship and its balloons. "Oh, is that where we came from?"  
  
Em shook her head. "Hai. We're exactly on the other side of the laboratory." She pointed to the left at a couple of low-lying buildings. "Supplies are in there, and..."  
  
"But now what do we do?" asked Amelia.  
  
"Watch and wait," said Zel, getting comfortable on the ground, "and we'll know when the time is right."  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Thoth let out an extremely tired grasp. "How come I've rowing all this way even thought as you say-" The old man took a break to recollect his thoughts. "I'm the inspector from the national office. You know, to check on your establishments and your rules."  
  
Biru grinned. "Oh, and do you see any inns in this area?" Except for the darkened faraway shoreline, the rest of the sea was barren of life. "Besides, I need to save my energy for later." He grasped his hand in frustration while starting to mutter to himself. "Lina and her friends will pay dearly for avoiding Inverse tax...that much I swear..."  
  
Thoth sweat dropped. No matter what he would say, Biru was still quite a driven person. Whether he was mad was another story altogether. "Didn't we talk about how the national office still hasn't decided on your Inverse tax?"  
  
Biru coughed. "Oh...that's right!" The innkeeper suddenly switched personalities on his face. "I'll keep that in mind..."  
  
The old man sighed, rowing a few strokes in frustration. So long ago, we wouldn't have to take the crap that Biru was dishing out. He was cared for hand and foot by the best servants in all the land. They would wake him from his princely bed, wash his exterior and dry his body with the finest of silk linens.  
  
He remembered some the parties that his father hosted in late evenings, with countless dignitaries arriving from far away for the evening. Then, suddenly the parties were no longer around. And the war was on.   
  
Torn. The choices he had made -- for they had been appalling decisions, even for today. Yet, Thoth never regretted making them early in his life. Never at all.   
  
"I see them! There!" Interrupting Thoth's memoirs was Biru's hysterical pointing at the land. The darkness and the fog had just separated enough to point out signs of life. The innkeeper was jumping around like nuts, his excitement threatening to tip the craft over.  
  
"Easy there, Biru! I see them!" The old man turned the rowboat toward the island, coming in from the near side and also to keep as much cover between Lina's friends and himself. What he needed now was a little luck.   
  
"What are you doing?" asked Biru, noticing how they were off course.   
  
Thoth nodded. "I can't go in straight, otherwise the tide will drag us off. Just call it a hunch." All of this was a white lie, but it seemed to calm the Innkeeper's jumpiness.   
  
"Well, if you put it that way," smugly said Biru, sitting down in the rowboat. "Then you're right, this is much better to come in this way. "  
  
The old man sighed. Maybe pushing Biru overboard would be a good idea after all...   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
The four of them watched closing from the thick shrubbery, changing locations again. For now less than thirty feet away was Turnip sitting down at this dinner table, the former human's back to their position. Turnip appeared to be eating away at some human food, taking bite upon bite and throwing each uneaten edible away to the side.  
  
They could hear his raspy voice yell obscenities. "Bring me some real food" The poor slaves groaned at his evilness, even under Turnip's mind control spell they seemed powerless to resist.   
  
Amelia turned to the chimera. "We still haven't figured out how Turnip is still alive. There's no chance he could have survived that explosion with Lina and the chaos box in Monte Darlo."  
  
Turnip took another bite, so angry at the food that his lifted his finger and shot the closest servant with a stream of lighting. "I asked for real food, you baka!" The poor servant jumped into the air and whimpered away, whatever resistance was on his mind vanishing into thin air.  
  
A thought hit Zel as he turned around and sunk back into hiding. "Him disappearing. The bland food taste." He smacked is open palm with excitement. "The only reason that he would hate human food like that...is because he's a Mazoku now. The baka pledged to someone so now he's immortal."  
  
The princess of Saillune looked horrified. "What! You're kidding!" The brunette thought back to the difficult time they had with Halshiform when a mortal had pledged to a Mazoku his life for servitude. "What are we going to do?"  
  
"Let me see." Em was almost leaning out of her hiding spot, glaring at the table where Turnip was sitting. So wide were her eyes that she almost toppled over into the shrubbery, almost revealing their hidden position.   
  
Gourry managed to grab the falling Em by her shirt collar, saving the scientist from a real disaster. "I see it on the table, deactivated. Francois must be using the chaos key for the airship. It's the only way."  
  
"The chaos key?" exclaimed Lina's friends. Chaos stones and boxes were bad enough. Now Em was saying there was something called the chaos key, and it was freaking the rest of them out.  
  
"What's this all about?" asked Zel.  
  
"See for yourself." The scientist pointed to the table where Turnip was, not to the madman but to the right of him, to a heavy sword. The blade suddenly took the attention of everyone: instead of one blade like many flat swords, it had a cross of two blades around its spire. The larger blade was fine metallic edges, gleaming brightly from the torchlight. But was the real eye getter were the smaller perpendicular blades -- not metallic but clear like perfect quartz, the obvious duplication of chaos stones.  
  
The handle of the blade was large and two-handed, the hilt decorated with highlights of gold and silver. Between the handle and the four blades themselves was a breech of a metal circular disk that could spin. All this was protected by a comprehensive yet decorative guard.  
  
"It's my father's legacy, and it has the power to control chaos. When used properly, it's an unimaginable tool. It can be your alley against magic, protecting the user from the harshest of spells. But it can also be abused, it's chaos powers can be trapped and fired properly like devastating weapon." She swallowed her breath at the moment of it all.   
  
Gourry stood up and drooled at the sword of chaos. "That is some sword!"   
  
The chimera had to push the blond down back behind the bushes. "Take it easy, we can't just walk up and take that sword."  
  
"Huh, why not?"  
  
Em smacked her hands together. "Now I got it! Francois is going to use the key to run his airship. And with that sword so closely watched, there's no way that we could just jump him, unless..." Em's eyes lit up and she whispered a few words into Amelia's ear. The princess let out a big smile and turned her head to Gourry and Zelgadis.  
  
"Guys? Want to help us out with something?" asked Amelia, giving the chimera and with swordsman an unbelievable kawaii look.  
  
Zel groaned considerably. "How do you know if I'm going to regret this?"   
  
"Come on, you don't trust me and Em?" frowned the princess of Saillune. "I would never do anything to hurt you...physically, at least!"  
  
The chimera sweat dropped. "Uh-huh. That's exactly what I worried about."   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Biru and Thoth let the tide drift their rowboat into the underground cavern. As they floated in, Biru pulled out a small torch and lit it, illuminating the natural cavern.   
  
"Gee, it sure is dark in here," said Biru, almost cuddling up with himself.   
  
Thoth pulled the small rowboat next to the dock and Turnip's spiffy watercraft. He quickly lashed his craft to the dock and got out. "Stay here," he said, also signaling with his hands for the innkeeper to stay put.  
  
It didn't take long for Biru to grumble back. "What do you mean, stay here? I am not missing any of the action."  
  
The old man frowned. "Well, OK then. But you'll have to watch out, for this part of the island is teeming with ghoul monsters. They like to eat brains whole by plucking them out of your head like popping open an acorn. Then your conscience lives within their bodies, trapped for all eternity to roam among the undead."   
  
The innkeeper turned quite pale as he shook his head. "Actually, I'll be glad to stay here. Someone has to guard the....errr...rowboat! We don't want those oars to float away, do we!" Biru crisscrossed his legs, a sure sign that he was getting comfortable.   
  
Thoth tuned his head out and let out a little smile. "Well...I guess you can watch the boat." The old man turned up the path and began to make his way around the mouth of the cave. "Don't go anywhere, OK?"  
  
"Uhhh...yeah!"  
  
It was only a minute later that Thoth saw the backs of Amelia and the scientist girl, Em. The boys were missing at the moment but he was sure they were close by. Ducking back down the path, Thoth managed to get a good look at who they were hiding from.  
  
"Turnip!" exclaimed the old man, just loud enough to hear his own voice. Thoth glued his eyes on the former master of Monte Darlo but then on the other item next to Turnip. "The key! So that's where it is!" And there it was, the sword of chaos was indeed a prized possession.   
  
A larger picture was coming together. Turnip was in control of the chaos key. But it seemed that the scientist's daughter was fulfilling her part of her history, trying to reclaim her father's legacy. Surely, Em having the key would be quite...advantageous.   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Turnip was busy polishing off his huge plates of desserts of a dozen puff pastries, filled with éclair crème and coated in dark chocolate. To his left were slices of cheesecakes and other rich cakes from the region. To his right were piles of nut-flavored cookies and macaroons, all for his choosing.   
  
But the former human could not satisfy his need for food -- such possessions were so human. Undeniably, Turnip was starting to lose his grip on being a Mazoku. The desserts were just comforting his mind, trying to patch his body for energy, but it did no good. If he didn't get some hate and fear emotions soon, his soul would soon fade away...  
  
Turnip picked up a giant éclair and softly bit off the end. He knew this was one of the richest foods in the world, but ultimately, the treat was unsatisfying in the end. Distracted, he looked up and saw Lina's comrades -- the blond swordsman and the cloaked fellow waving around like lost sheep; on top of the hill by his professor's mansion.   
  
"Hey Turnip," shouted the blond guy, flailing his arms around like a birdie. "Your mother's a goat herder!"  
  
The chimera looked over at Gourry and sighed. "Amelia said to be a distraction, not act like dolt."  
  
"Oh," said the swordsman, pointing to Turnip's slaves as they all noticed their antics. "But it worked, didn't it?"   
  
So shocked was Turnip from their bold appearance that he bit too hard into his éclair, shooting vanilla crème out all over his suit. He swallowed his dessert whole, nearly choking on the sweet meal.   
  
"Get them! Now!" His guards had already stirred about, arming themselves at the sight of the strangers. But Turnip's orders excited them into a frenzy, his men charging towards the narrow walkway to the mainland.  
  
The chimera shouted out an shamanist ice spell, turning the tight walkway into a treacherous journey. A few of Turnip's men slipped on the frozen surface, falling off the narrow strait and into the water. A few more toppled over, cursing at their stupidity for falling for such a naïve trick.   
  
The blond swordsman was loosing the ground at the base of some boulders with a shaft of wood as a lever. He succeeded, releasing several of the rocks down the hill onto the ice-covered walkway. More guards slip-sliding on the walkway were bowled over by the rocks, cursing and moaning at getting tossed into the cold ocean below.  
  
"You incompetent bakas! I always have to do everything myself!" Turnip's eyes lit blood red as the powerful Mazoku energy surged though his veins. He shot energy bolts at Gourry and Zel, missing high as they solidly struck the hillside. Turnip was indeed no fool, for he intentionally caused an avalanche of stone and dirt to fall down upon them.  
  
"Oh my..." said the chimera looked up at the falling pile of rock and mud. As the men they ran down the cliffs ahead of the avalanche, they hit the icy walkway with both of their feet and slip right pass Turnip's guards. Behind them, Zel could practically hear the horrors as the exploding hill came down on Turnip's own men, taking out the walkway and the stretch between the island and mainland. The lab was no longer as island, but a peninsula.  
  
Turnip cursed at his own incompetence. Lifting his hands, he shot out a multitude of energy bolts, hitting the chimera and the swordsman as well as his own slaves. The backlash of the explosions was so fierce that a few more of Turnip's own men were blown off the island. A few others were thrown forward into the docked airship, leaving body shaped holes in the hull.  
  
Zel and Gourry emerged from the blackened smoke, coughing and defenseless. Turnip licked his lips in excitement, loving every minute, thus gaining power for the excitement. "Now feel the wrath of my new powers, you fools..."  
  
"Ra Tilt!"  
  
The former human was instantly bathed in the light of the most powerful of all astral plane spells. His body tightened up like it was ready for a casket -- but alas, he was already dead. He hid his head among his own shadows, waiting for the sickening spell to finish  
  
The light fantastic stopped a few seconds later. From a crouched position, he shot got up and turned around at the princess of Saillune. "Nice try, little girl. But I've pledged myself, so such spells are indeed painful but they have very little lasting effect. My astral body is so much stronger than yours!" Turnip quickly disappeared from reality, the swordsman just missing with his blade at turning the Mazoku into a shish kabob.  
  
Turnip reappeared quite close to Amelia, scaring the brunette for she was unable to properly defend herself. In Turnip's hand was the chaos key, the magnificent sword circling above his head. He instantly lowered the weapon like a boon, aiming for Amelia's forehead.  
  
The chimera caught the blade with his rocky left hand, the arm perpendicular to his body for support. "Nice try, Turnip. Don't give up your day job just yet."  
  
"Be careful what you wish for, stone boy." As soon as Turnip had answered the chimera's question, the clear blades in the chaos key ignited an angry white with energy. The blades were already touching Zel's rocky flesh, steaming and bubbling away his chimera energy.  
  
"Aauugh!" Zelgadis gritted his teeth, yelling in anguish more from the reaction than anything.   
  
"Such a bore..." said Turnip, harshly kicking the chimera off of sword blade like dead sapling for firewood. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"  
  
The blades had been quite unstoppable, slicing vertically down into the chimera's arm halfway up to the elbow. Zel grimaced as he turned away, catching a look at his arm as he toppled over onto the ground. With the power of the chaos, Turnip had sliced open his hand, wrist, and lower arm in half. His rock limb was a mangled squid-like mess, whatever inner human flesh and bone was profusely bleeding over the stubby rock appendage.  
  
"Can't take the drain?" Turnip circled the glowing chaos sword above his head. The key seemed to turn an ugly red, in tune to Turnip's energy, letting out a sweep of wind so fierce that it blew Gourry and Amelia to the ground into sudden unconsciousness. "The power! I love it so!!"  
  
From his knees, the chimera wrapped his cloak around the sawed off appendage. He tried to say something up to Turnip, but he only gurgled up some blood.   
  
"Oh well, cat got your tongue?" The former human circled around the fallen chimera with relish. "Let's see if you crawl when dismembered, stone boy. Goodbye, dear friend..."   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Thoth watched the battle between Turnip and the rest of them. The former leader of Monte Darlo was using the chaos blade as an amateur, yet quite effectually against his opponents. Thoth knew that Lina's friend's had their hands full and that victory for them on their own was slim at best.   
  
He thought about jumping into the fray when the little brunette Amelia was about to be struck down with the key, but then he saw the chimera save her. Such a terrible price, it was almost too horrible to watch.  
  
The old man shook his head. He could not allow Turnip to wield such a powerful weapon. Reaching into his dirty robe, be pulled out a small rod and aimed it at the former human.   
  
But before old man could activate it, he saw a large cheesecake smack into Turnip, blinding him. And that made the old man stop and duck for cover, as he laughed uncontrollably.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
"Who threw that!" The cheesecake had smacked perfectly into Turnip's eyes, blinding the Mazoku perfectly. "Who dares to insult me; I shall torture you until you beg for your own death!" But the words were without bark as he pawed graham cracker crust from his eyes.   
  
Em laughed at the baka. "I did! And here's some more!"   
  
A few éclairs smacked the former human in the face, staggering his stance for a few more seconds. "No one makes a fool out of me!"  
  
"I just did, Francois!"  
  
Turnip wheeled his head around toward his dinner table, angrily wiping away the sugary mess from his face. He had reached into his coat pocket and now was using a handkerchief to remove the sticky crème filling. "I haven't been called that in many years." He looked up at the young scientist standing on his chair. Besides the shock of seeing Em, it was the object in her hands -- a small, delicate chaos box -- that had Turnip's attention.  
  
"Em," he said distastefully, drooling dessert from out of his mouth, "I should have known the you'd come back here. How very delightful." Turnip turned the key upward away from the chimera's body, the chaos blades returning to their clear state.   
  
"Very good, dear Turnip. Now move away from him. Now." The scientist waved her hand over the chaos box, showing off her weapon as a display of its potential power.   
  
Turnips stared down at the redheaded scientist as he took more steps away from Zelgadis. "I see. You also have learned how to master the power of chaos. Your father, the professor, taught you well. Just before his unfortunate demise."  
  
"Be quiet! You know nothing about my father's death! You leeched off his experiments with chaos, looted the cloud library, and took his legacy. And now you're one of...them! How could you!"  
  
"Don't you want to know how?" Turnip tightened his fist into a ball and started to walk towards Em. "You know, don't you? The Mazoku that attacked you, he must have had help. Don't you agree?"  
  
"Liar..." Em started to shake in fear. "You didn't...you couldn't have."  
  
Turnip smacked his lips in delight as he ardently walked towards Em, the chaos key starting to re glow in his hands. "I wanted the secrets of chaos for myself, to control and use as a weapon to destroy. But your father didn't see it that way, the wimp preferred to study and control the powers of chaos. He was a fool."  
  
"And then I met an unsuspecting Mazoku, who wanted to find out why his companions were disappearing. I convinced him to attack your father at an exact time. A card so perfectly played..."  
  
"What did you tell the Mazoku!" shouted Em, her anger building.  
  
Turnip laughed. "Yes, I told him to attack, but not just that. Exactly the point in time when your father was near that lit chaos box. Not to attack your father, but to use his human's axe and...obliterate the chaos box!"  
  
"You bastard!" Em shook as her body trembled in fear. "You...killed him! You knew perfectly well that destroying a lit chaos box would make it the explode."  
  
The former human grinned. "And both those bastards perished. What a plan."  
  
Em trembled at realizing the truth. "And all this time I thought it was a Mazoku. But it was you! You took the only thing from my life that really mattered!" Tears fell from her eyes as Em could no longer bottle her own emotions. Unsure what to do, she held the chaos box high into the air, threatening again to unleash its power.  
  
"Both you and I know the key is more powerful than one chaos box. It is pointless to fight me." Turnip swung the chaos sword into Em's box, shattering it with one swing. "Baka. You've lost your chaos stone and that wasn't even a real chaos box! Who's the fool now!"   
  
Em cringed, ducking for safety while trying to roll off and save her own life. But her cover was blown, it would only be seconds later that she'd be struck down by the powers of chaos, killed by her father's murderer. The end was indeed near.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
Thoth twisted around from behind the rock. No, he didn't want to use it because it would reveal his identity to Turnip and the others. But he had no choice; there was little reason to hold back now.   
  
The small rod was almost in danger of slipping out of his sweating hands, yet his tight grip would never let it go. He waited for the very last moment to pounce onto Turnip, just before the deadly. He heard Em's words, and then for the moment. And then the scientist fell from grace, and it then that he pointed the rod of chaos and fired.  
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
And time stopped.  
  
Em looked up from the dusty ground into Turnip's darkened and evil eyes. Her father's legacy, the chaos sword he had made from so long ago, was about to strike down his only daughter. There was little Em could do, she hoped it would be over as swiftly as possible.  
  
She thought about how cyclical life was. If it wasn't for Francois and his exploits, she doubted her choice in becoming a scientist, thus emulating her father. The evil, in a cruel and selfish way, had formed her own personality, her backbone in life. She had lived life to the fullest, and was immediately happy because of it. She felt that the fates had dealt her a good existence, in fact quite proud of it.  
  
And then Em saw something from behind a rock, barely a movement of shadow. A beam of white energy came out from behind the darkness, the savior of all. It hit Turnip squarely in the back, stunning the Mazoku like he had become frozen in time. It was then she truly knew the fates were smiling on her destiny.  
  
  
---o--o--o---   
  
  
Turnip lurched forward in a squeal of agony. The shot was short in duration, yet the powerful blast was quite effective in paralyzing his body. It was if his Mazoku energy had suddenly been shunted off, his mind no longer connected to his spiritual body.  
  
He lurched forward like a wounded animal, devastated from the secret attack. The chaos sword plummeted out of his hand, the once animated key lifelessly dropping off behind him onto the muddy ground. The former human saw it all as it fell out of his twisting grasp, yet he was powerless to stop its descent.  
  
And then, it was over.   
  
"Who shot me!" shouted the Mazoku and he turned around to look. And there was the chimera, hobbling along while using his own sword as a cane. The chimera looked up and stared, a fireball already lit in his good hand.  
  
The spell struck Turnip a second later, covering everywhere in a blanket of fire and smoke. Turnip laughed at the effort. "You idiots, those common spells have no effect on me. Do you really think you're dealing with a regular Mazoku?"  
  
A chimera's voice answered from the smoke. "Make no mistake, Turnip. We have your precious sword and I intend to use it." At the end of those words, Zel stepped his body out of the burning smoke, keeping the weapon's blade hidden behind his back.  
  
"But I see it!" Turnip lashed out a couple of energy shots at the chimera, which Amelia blocked with a wall spell. Yet during the volley, Turnip made steps closer and closer to the chimera. "Don't you know how to use the chaos weapon, my friend? Yes indeed, only I know how to use it. And that means you can't stop me!"  
  
He steps turned into a charge, the chimera knowing he would be unable to defend himself from Turnip's Mazoku powers. "Come and get me, bastard!"  
  
Turnip was so tempted by his emotions that he didn't see the blond swordsman from out of the smoke; smack him in the midsection thus stunning him for just only a second.  
  
"You..." Turnip grinned and stepped forward again, but he didn't get far. He barely felt it first, the metallic twinge like a fly swapper smacked against his back. Indeed, someone had tried to stab him with a sword.  
  
Turnip saw the metal emerge from the pit of his stomach, the bladed weapon was a little stubby thing. He could only laugh. "Fools! Don't you know I can't be killed!" And instinctively human, he gripped the metallic blade with both of his hands.   
  
Zelgadis grinned, showing off his sword for Turnip to see. "Oh, is that so?"  
  
The former human felt the fine hair on the back of his neck, and then a voice. "Oh Francois? Did you forget about me?" From out of the corner of his eye he saw Em holding the metallic blade of the chaos sword through his back. But the lethal chaos blades of the sword had been sprung back like a loaded crossbow, ready to be released into his Mazoku body at a moments notice.   
  
"What are you doing!" Turnip's mind reeled in horror. The metallic blade was there as placeholders, like sleeves to guide the chaos blades into its pray. He might have been able to jump away before, but the closeness of chaos stones kept him stuck fast.   
  
"You're not the only one who knows how to use the chaos key, dear Francois. Father taught me well." Em kissed him gently on the cheek. "Think of it as gift from Dad."  
  
The scientist switched her weight around and released the trigger. The chaos blades shot directly into Turnip's body like a hot knife through butter, stunning him instantly. His hands, once gripping the metallic sword around his stomach, were sheared off like a scythe to wheat.  
  
Turnip moaned as he petered a half step forward, his Mazoku energy draining into the sword. He whispered a few words, just loud enough for Em to hear. "Another redhead. I am so eternally cursed..."   
  
His Mazoku body flesh liquidated into a swirl of boiling black tar. Soul turned into chaos energy, sucking his existence into the sword itself.   
  
And then, was what left of Turnip body was gone, with Em holding the chaos blade in the air. The sword glowed an ugly black, shouting Turnip's suffering voice of pain. Zel could barely make out Turnip's screaming image as it flashed across the flat of the blade, just before fading away.  
  
And all was quiet.   
  
Em sighed in exhaustion, tumbling to her knees. The scientist would have collapsed on the ground if it weren't for using the chaos key as a staff. She stuck the point of the blade into the soft ground, letting the weapon return to its clear quartz-like state.  
  
"Is it over?" asked Amelia, as she hobbled forward while the chimera leaned on her.   
  
Zel had wrapped a tear of his cloak around his dismembered arm, stopping the obvious damage. Gourry was up as well, recovering from being tossed around so harshly.  
  
"Hai." The scientist looked at the chaos blade and stared into her reflection, taking it all in. She could only look at all the dirt and scars from the battle with Turnip, and the rush of tears that came later. "Thank you Dad...thank you."   
  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
  
[Author] ...And the adventure continues...  
  
[Lina] You had better believe it, buster!  
  
  
---o--o--o--- 


	10. Chapter 10: Wedding! Time for the Blond ...

---o--o--o---  
-  
  
[Lina] Hmmm, do you think I should get it trimmed? {shows off the golden locks with a flick of the wrist}  
  
[Amelia] But...why did you have to bleach your hear?  
  
[Lina] {looks horrified} Bleach! Isn't hair suppose to be a natural color?  
  
[Sylphiel] Ummm...it's not like I wanted to be the purple princess...  
  
[Amelia] Yea, sure... {swaps at her own mop of hair} What about curls?   
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
Slayers: Clouds!  
  
Chapter 10:  
Wedding! Time for the Blond Marriage!  
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
"And now, the merry-go round starts once again."  
  
Xellos had known of the idiom from an age long since forgotten by time. He had composed the expression in his own words, from an ancient time in one of the oldest kingdoms in the east. The settlers from this age long ago had immense wealth and the ego to build the grandest amusement park for all of its people -- a special place no less -- filled with attractions, restaurants, shows, and rides.   
  
And yes, it was the ingenious design of one of its special rides that had caught the attention of the Mazoku. It was a circular spindle almost like a spinning top, except it was forty or fifty feet wide. The townspeople affectionately call it their 'merry-go round.'  
  
He hid within the astral plane, watching the architects conceptualize their merry-go round. Each day, he saw their blueprints mature through their design drawings of riding horses, wolves, and other four-legged animals. Inspired by the moment, he returned late one night and replaced the design sketches with his homemade plans. He managed to sneak away just before an artisan guild member came in. When the artist saw the new plans, he took them for his workers to carry out.   
  
When it was done, the artisans wrapped their present in secret. In a lavishly timed ceremony, they unveiled their inspired work. And what a sight it was! The architects fainted while the artists stood proud. The townspeople were dumbfounded as they blankly stared at the merry-go round. The kids were already climbing onto the ride, cheery eyed and ready to go. And yet...there was something about humans riding dragons that made Xellos chuckle for what seemed like...forever.   
  
Lo and behold, the townspeople's children were tickled about riding the lords of white magic. Gold ones, black ones, even an occasional blue and red one. The planners had initially thought their merry-go round was a source of embarrassment; how very surprised they were at its acceptance because of its very ironic identity.  
  
"Humans," he said to himself, watching the little humans jump on and off merry-go round, "are a most unpredictable sort."  
  
And here he was in the present, looking down at a very blond Lina from his hidden place within the astral plane. Everything started...here. The merry-go round. The fun, the excitement... it was time to start to show.  
  
He was careful, for Lina Inverse was not of the normal sort. Her detecting skills would eventually reveal his presence, knowing that the one-way portal would only hide his identity for so long. It only took a small hole into reality for a view, a lot smaller for any normal human to notice. Still, he didn't leave...not yet.  
  
The mysterious priest chuckled to himself, watching the blond sorcerer while she checked herself out in the mirror. She frowned at her locks in her hair, turned around...and tumbled nonchalantly on the corner of her bed, unable to control her own awkward body. Oh, this was too much! He was tempted to push the moment, as the urge inside himself wanted to catch the sorcerer and welcome her to her new life. It wasn't just the figure that had him going, but something about that golden hair...  
  
He checked his rising emotions. Yes, he'd have to be more careful, he said to himself. Personally, he even thought that thought he had outfoxed his own cunning mind, a wave of ego told him that wasn't so. Not to say he was smug about it either.   
  
So he bid adieu, gripped his staff and closed his portal view.  
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
"Xellos!!"  
  
Lina's beckoning call did not summon the mysterious priest to answer. Swearing that his presence was watching from the shadows only made her shudder more. But...what had caused her to call the name of Xellos like so many times before?   
  
She searched for an answer and remembered her visions during the night... "It was just a dream," she muttered to herself. "A dream...that's all it was..." She tugged her hair just for a second before looking down into her hands at long blond locks. "No, I'm not waking up from this. Maybe...because this also part of a dream."  
  
She twisted the hair in her fingers and then pulled it. Hard. All she could do was bite her tongue from the sudden jerk of her head, as a little touch of pain came from out of the blue. "Oh...my..."  
  
There was a heavy knock on her closed bedroom door. "Ummm, Lina? Is everything all right in there?" Sylphiel's voice sounded more concerned than ever. "Filia thought you were shouting..."   
  
Lina could hear the dragon lady mumble something untranslatable to the purple shrine maiden before erupting like a sleeping volcano.   
  
"She said Xellos!" grumbled Filia. "Its almost like he's in there with her!"   
  
The shrine maiden objected to Filia's pointed comments, even if she 'wasn't' trying to hurt Lina's feeling.  
  
"I'm all right!" Lina paused at hearing her words, looking down at her golden locks at the same time. "Just a little trouble with...getting out of bed this morning." She twisted around the bedroom, fruitlessly looking to escape out a back door or a balcony window. No such luck.  
  
"I'll be out in a minute..."  
  
"OK," chimed Filia, "because I'd hate for you to miss this lovely breakfast they delivered."  
  
"Breakfast?!" The dragon's words didn't take long for Lina to recognize, her mouth salivating while her tummy growled. Her instinctive reactions made her throw open her bedroom door and charge into the sitting room.  
  
"Fooood!" Charging into the sitting room, she had turned her undivided attention towards the laid out assortment of smoked seafood and tropical fruits and sat her blondness down. "Wow, the Sheik really knows how to put on a morning spread!" She proceeded to dig right into her meal, starting with the sizeable pile of scrambled eggs on her plate.  
  
Sylphiel blinked in natural disbelief. "Lina...you look...different..."  
  
"Mmmm..." mouthed the sorcerer, "You have got to try this smoked salmon! It's so good!"  
  
Filia was a state of continued shock as she watched the blond Lina devour her breakfast. One thing that Lina had not changed was her voracious appetite and manners. Yet, the stranger's clothing was Lina's sorcerer's outfit but tighter around the body. Each of the ladies sweat dropped as the voice of Lina came out of the blond's mouth, almost like an oversight.   
  
The blond sorcerer looked up from her mostly eaten breakfast, the shrine ladies' stares at her were surreal. The two of them were unable to move even an inch from their standing positions. "Would you two mind telling me what you're looking at?"   
  
Sylphiel pointed to the top of Lina's head. "It's just that...you're a blond!"  
  
"Yea, I know," said Lina, shoving the objection aside. "Kind of has some good qualities." She twirled with her finger a golden lock of her hair and smiled. "I like it..." She looked back down at her breakfast and shoveled away.   
  
Both shrine ladies grinned like Cheshire cats. "How can you be so calm about the whole thing?" asked Filia.  
  
The sorcerer looked up with a stare at Filia, silently thinking about it for the first time. When she had heard Uzumara's curse from yesterday, she had almost fainted right there on the spot. A fish? A thing that swims in water? With all that algae and disgusting stuff? Cepheid no! She couldn't even think of herself as a piece of seafood. Absolutely no way!  
  
Yet, here she was. Not as a fish, but as a...blond. A stunning, beautiful...blond. She ran her loose hand down the side of her body, stunning in every detail. A little clumsy, but so what! She could actually feel her chest press into the table. It made her so happy that she let out a small sniffle.  
  
"Lina," said the purple haired shrine maiden, unable to interrupt the sorcerer's thoughts.   
  
A spell. Her magic. Her new body didn't coordinate that well, so her sudden spell casting was...reduced. No big deal that everything wasn't perfect. Maybe...it was something she just needed practice with...yea, that was it...   
  
"Lina..." Sylphiel's persistence snapped the sorcerer's undivided attention. "Are you ok?"  
  
"Oh yea..." The blond sorcerer stood up from the table, her body bobbing up and down with every moment. "Many times when I was younger, I would have wanted these-" she said, cupping her chest with both of her hands. "And now, because of it, this feels...so right!"  
  
Both shrine maidens blushed. "Cut that out!" exclaimed Filia, waving her hands in a crossing motion. "Its embarrassing!"  
  
A knock on the onside foyer door startled the three of them. Instead of waiting for a response, the door cracked opened and stopped only a couple of inches open. "The royal tailors will be here in five minutes. Please make yourselves presentable to them." The door creaked closed just as fast as it had been opened.  
  
The three ladies gaped awkwardly at each other.   
  
"I didn't call for them," said Lina, staring back at the front door.   
  
"Neither did I," said Filia. "Something's...amiss. Oh, maybe its about the wedding?"  
  
Lina cringed. "Damn it! I'm such a freaking baka." She turned around to her fellow blond, practically begging. "What am I going to do?"   
  
The door creaked open ominously as if gusted open by the wind. "Lina Inverse..." The sorcerer could make out Kerchef's distinct voice and the shuffling movements of several others from behind the door.  
  
"Don't come in, we're not dressed!" shouted a dragon lady.  
  
"It's Kerchef," he chirped, "Captain of the royal guards to Uzumara." The girls could tell that the servant to the Sheik was an impatient man just by his pacing in front of their door. "I intend to come in."  
  
"Don't you dare!" shouted a frustrated Lina, "otherwise, you'll be a flaming pile of-"  
  
"Morning!" interrupted Filia as she ran to the door and locked it closed. "Please give us a few minutes to get dressed!" The dragon turned and dashed madly across the sitting room, shushing her new blond roommate into Sylphiel's sleeping chamber.   
  
The purple shrine maiden shot Filia an aggravated look but she cut her off with a hand motion. "Shhhh.... we can't tell them that Lina's not a fish!" she whispered.  
  
The shrine maiden ahhh'ed to the blond dragon's comments appropriately. "I guess so."  
  
The sorcerer, meanwhile, didn't like getting told what to do. "Hey! What are you doing-" But Lina's temper tantrum was cut off by Filia, as she gently escorted her fellow blond into Sylphiel's room and closed the bedroom door.  
  
Sounds of jingling keys were the precursor to the double set of foyer doors springing open for the Captain and his men. Kerchef didn't waste anytime commandeering the sitting room, snapping his fingers as several of his men marched in formation behind him. "Where's that annoying fish bride!" He charged into Lina's open bedroom before coming back out with his scimitar drawn.   
  
Sylphiel sweat dropped. "She went...to the spa!"  
  
"Yea, to get her...errr fins all nice and clean for the wedding!" followed Filia.   
  
Kerchef thumbed his chin. "Ahhh, I see. Very smart of her to prepare for the Sheik in such a manner. I'm impressed."   
  
The girls looked at each other, quite surprised that the captain had bought their tale -- lock, stock and barrel.  
  
"Very well! I have a special present for our fish bride." The captain barked an order, signaling for a set of servants to come in. "She will be required to wear this wedding dress. The sheik's tailors have prepared this fine garment, incrusted with the rarest pearls and emeralds of all time."   
  
Filia cringed as she took her hand to the green garment, examining the fine silk work. To her, the patterns of flowers were beautiful, but the color of an ugly stain of moss that looked like puke. "Kind of disgusting green, don't you think?"   
  
"Of course it's green, you fool!" barked Kerchef. "The Sheik is a fish, he prefers his mate to be like his favorite food." He fondled the silken dress with his grubby hands, so much that it made Sylphiel's emotions recoil. "The silk to make this dress is dyed with local varieties of kelp."   
  
"Ahh!" Filia continued to poke at its unusual openings and odd blimp-like shape she couldn't make heads or tails of the wedding dress. "What are all these holes for anyway?"  
  
Sylphiel nudged the dragon lady away from the dress for a second, finally getting Filia's attention. "Actually, it's for the fins, don't you see?" She poked around the dress like an experienced seamstress. "And here's where the feet are, and then the tail section...."  
  
Filia coughed. "Oh! And I was just thinking about how I would love to wear something as beautiful as this!" She chuckled a bit, which immediately lightened Kerchef's somber mood. "How foolish of me into thinking this wedding gown was for me!"  
  
"We can arrange matching bridesmaid dresses if you wish," grinned Kerchef.   
  
"No, that's quite all right! I'm sure I'll have a lovely frock to wear for today!"   
  
"Hai," nodded the captain. "Make sure our bride returns and is ready within the hour. I shall be escorting her to the bridal suite in preparation for the ceremony." The captain gave a little courtesy bow and left with his fellow guards, leaving the dress spread out on the sofa.  
  
A few seconds after the front door slammed closed, Lina bolted from her hiding spot in Sylphiel's room. "That was much too close." She took one look at the wedding dress on the couch and almost threw up. "What is that!"   
  
"Curtains?" said Filia, trying to smooth over the situation. The dragon held up the dress to the window, and indeed, the fabric matched the window treatments quite nicely.   
  
The blond sorcerer swallowed her tongue as she emotionally face faulted into the cushiony sofa. "I need to go back to sleep..."  
  
"Everything going to be fine." Sylphiel sat down next to the lethargic sorcerer, drawing Lina's golden hair back rather motherly. "Kerchef will be on his way now to the spa."  
  
"Hai, if we're going to get out of here," contorted Filia while she creaked open the front door. She immediate saw the backsides of a couple of Kerchef's guards and shut it before they noticed. "We've got company on the outside."  
  
"So? I like to introduce myself all the time!" Lina flipped over to get a better look at everyone before scurrying up to her feet. "Oh Cepheid, we are so getting out of here!"   
  
She dashed up and took a couple of steps towards the door, preparing to dish out some of her famous chaotic magic. She chanted the spell's words perfectly, the energy forming in the palms of her hands. As stepped forward towards the door to release her explosion array, she tripped on the carpeting -- falling face first into the floor.  
  
*Smack*  
  
"....Oh crap!"  
  
"Lina!" cried out Sylphiel, leaning down to help her collapsed friend. "Are you all right?"  
  
"....Owwwie..." The blond sorcerer pulled her head up off the hard ground. She winced at the surprising amount of pain, even thought the plush carpeting had prevented a permanent injury. "This isn't exactly a piece of cake anymore."  
  
The other blond's face was agape at Lina's clumsiness, yet it took Filia a only a second to comprehend it all. "Well, you wanted to be in a body like that, but it now you can't even-"   
  
"Filia!" interrupted Sylphiel, aghast at the dragon's rudeness.  
  
"But its true! You heard her...she wanted this body!" The dragon lady snickered at the sorcerer's unfortunate predicament. "And imagine that, not being about to control...those hips!"  
  
"That's not funny!" Lina looked at the floor with resentment in her eyes. "I didn't think being a blond was going to be so much trouble!" She refused to budge from her crouched position.  
  
Sylphiel got down on her knees and crossed her legs, weaving her cape underneath her legs. "I know this is hard for you, Lina." She couldn't help smiling at Lina's new look.  
  
Lina stared at the shrine maiden before opening her palms up. "But I wanted this body!"   
  
The purple shrine maiden paused. "Are you...sure?"  
  
"I am!" She grabbed her chest again as an example of show-in-tell. "It's just...I never thought that these...*things*...would throw off my balance." She moaned, reminding to herself that coordination is an important thing when casting spells.  
  
The shrine maiden nodded. "You know, a lot of woman would kill to have a body like yours. Didn't you ever meet anyone that was like this?"  
  
"Errrrr..." she blushed, thinking of the past for a second. Lina disregarded it as she and Sylphiel both looked up at Filia, who was busy cleaning up the breakfast table. "Don't look at me, I just shape change into this."  
  
Sylphiel nodded. "And it's a very nice body too," she chimed.  
  
Filia mumbled a couple of words before returned back to her room. Something about humans and their opinions, and she was glad that her friends didn't hear it.  
  
They sat for several minutes, silently in a funk. Even the carpeted floors were a comfortable place.  
  
"Now...if we can't bust down the door..." murmured Lina, before moving her thought process on. "Then my only choice is...hmmm." She put her hands on her chin, scratching it for answers. "I wonder...what if were to become a fish?"  
  
"Lina! Don't ask for stuff like that!" scolded Sylphiel.  
  
The blond snapped her fingers. "Damn! If I were a fish, then the guards would escort me as the Sheik's wife to be at a moment's notice! But how can I fool them now..."  
  
"What about a disguise spell?" asked Sylphiel, thinking out loud. "You could get escorted to the ceremony as a fish, and then we could escape once we get to the bridal suite."  
  
"Well, I certainly don't know too many illusion spells," answered the blond sorcerer, "what about you?"  
  
Sylphiel nodded her head. "It's really advanced white magic. If we knew someone who know transformation magic..." As if she had said the words on cue, they both turned their eyes towards Filia's bedroom door.   
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
It slithered along the foot of the wall. Out of sight, out of mind. That was its motto.  
  
Its mission was a foolhardy one. Find where Lina was. Stay out of sight. Watch the sorcerer's actions. Follow her at every moment. Listen and hear the details. And finally, to file the report. Such was the simple task it was assigned.  
  
It relished at its roll in intelligence. Practicing for years and years not to be seen nor heard. Never captured alive was its motto, memorizing it as its most important commandment.   
  
And it looked...hard. Saw Lina. At what she was and her details. And decided that a report was immediately required.  
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
Filia sat down on the bed, her mind in disarray. Why, she asked herself. Why was she in this mess?   
  
She cursed at her predicament. All that she had wanted was at her home. Rebuilding from her former life that had faded so long ago, she was determined to run her little mace and vase shop with all her possible vigor. Juris and his former roughhousing associate had done a surprising well under her tutorage. She was amazed how the fox had settled working in her shop. They had become a family of sorts.  
  
And she thought about her adopted son to be. Little Valgaav, all nestled up in his egg. He was almost ready to be born, sleeping away peacefully in his cocoon. She wanted him to grow up with values and given a second chance. Then, just maybe...everything that mattered would be ok. Instead of forced right now...   
  
She took a second to wipe away a couple of newly formed tears. Anytime would have to be better than this. If only-  
  
"Hello little Filia," interrupted an appearing Xellos. The mysterious one winked, smugly sitting himself down at the foot of Filia's plush bed.  
  
The golden dragon growled. All of her problems were swept aside at the appearance of the Mazoku. "You have some nerve, coming in here right now. When was the last time you went at obedience school?"  
  
Xellos blinked, "My, my...little dragon seems to be rather upset. Isn't there something I can do for   
you?" He seemed to duck for cover a little bit before presenting her a gorgeous embroidered handkerchief.  
  
Filia swiped the little gift away, taking it out of need more than anything. Dotting her eyes softly, she then inelegantly blew her nose, thus recomposing herself as best as she could.   
  
Xellos leaned in closer, amused with Filia's sadness. "You're not rejecting me anymore? Hai?"  
  
She looked up. "Are you kidding me! Never have I been more insulted over your...manners!" She threw the soiled handkerchief back into his face, smacking the Mazoku in the eye.  
  
"Yare...yare...!" It was surprise more than anything to the mysterious priest. He instinctively reached out and dropped the soiled gift off his lap, covering up for his wounded pride.  
  
"Don't you have some important secrets to keep quiet about?" She did a little fake wave in jest, her emotions as checked as possible. "Go bother someone else."  
  
Xellos patiently crossed his arms. "But I like it here. You're the friendliest golden dragon I know."   
  
"That's because I'm the only dragon you know!" She stared and questioned the mysterious priest some more. "Why are you here, Xellos? Don't you know that your very presence is irritating at best?" A sudden answer to her question popped into her mind. "It wasn't just the trip here, or the spa... I should have realized it, you've been following me around all this time! And without the rest of them knowing!"  
  
He tugged as his sweating collar. "Well, if you put it that way..."  
  
"You!" shouted Filia, her temper no longer held in check. "You've been up to something! Damn you!"  
  
Xellos loved every minute of it. "Quite a threshold you have for anger, little one. Especially when you get really upset, you let out all those lovely emotions that you're supposedly hidden inside of you. And they are wonderful! I see it! You want to do this, and that, and even that it me!" He licked his lips in delight, savoring every dark sensation. "How...wonderful!"  
  
"Wha?" exclaimed the dragon, amazed that Xellos was in sheer delight. "How can you be...?"  
  
The mysterious priest leaned closer onto the bed, making the old springs creak ominously. "You know I can feel it. After all, we do indeed live on those nasty emotions of those around us..." He tisked tisked Filia a few times like he was scolding a child. "You know better than that."   
  
"Namagomi!" Filia's spiked club came from out of nowhere and crashed into the bed, just missing the disappearing Xellos.  
The old piece of furniture couldn't take the burden of the dragon's swing; the bed's legs folded out as it crashed to the ground.  
  
"Why can't you stay still!" heavily breathed the dragon.   
  
He reappeared unblemished on the other side of the bedroom. "Ano...it wouldn't have been a very good idea to stay." Xellos blinked as he looked down at the remains of Filia's bed. "Did you gain a few extra tons, little dragon?"  
  
Filia howled. "How did you know I've been gaining weight!" She tugged at her unbelievably thin waist, a body that most human females would have died for.   
  
Xellos raised his finger into the air while turning his head instinctively toward Filia's bedroom door. "Company. How I do hate visitors." The mysterious priests nodded for a second before disappearing from sight.  
  
Filia sighed, recomposing herself She would have no chance to relax --for where Xellos had been standing was huffing Lina.   
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
"Come on Filia, you have just got to help me!"  
  
"I don't know," pondered the dragon in the direction of Lina and Sylphiel. "I mean, honestly, we still don't know how you became a blond."   
  
Lina thought out loud. "That bastard Maximilian did it, I'm sure. He was suppose to turn me into fish food," she said, making a fist at the same time. "And then he thinks he did, but he royally screwed up."   
  
Filia nodded. "I guess so..."  
  
"Well, someone must have changed Maximilian's potion..." pondered the changed blond.   
  
"Wow..." said Sylphiel. "Whoever it was-"  
  
"Why not go to the wedding like that?" responded Filia, staring at Lina's golden locks. "Maybe you'll get out of it."  
  
Lina scowled. "Ummm, I don't think so. I think Sylphiel agrees with me." She watched the purple haired one nod at her statement. "Everyone thinks I'm a fish. If I show up as something different, they'll barbecue our ass." She turned suddenly away from the golden dragon.   
  
"So unlike you..." Filia stepped around the fellow blond to look into Lina's eyes. "You know, the old redhead I knew would have blasted us out of here. A few days ago you blew up the tallest building in Monte Darlo..."  
  
Lina glared off in space of a second. "...didn't mean to..."  
  
"And you've thrown Xellos around into a nasty headlock," smiled Filia, "so I heard."  
  
"Yea, that was fun..." The sorcerer twiddled her fingers nervously.   
  
"Oh, and you shouldn't forget about blowing up the Bridge of the Ancients," poked Filia. "A relic that had been standing for centuries-"  
  
The sorcerer turned pale, yelling back at Filia. "I had to!"  
  
Sylphiel coughed quite loudly, interrupting the quarreling blonds. "Filia, take a minute to think about what Lina asked for."   
  
"I don't know. This may not be a very good idea..." The golden dragon was suddenly more apprehensive than ever.  
  
Sylphiel walked back into Filia's room with the wedding dress, hanging it on the back of her bedroom's door. "Please, Filia. Can you change Lina? Not just for her...but for me as well."   
  
Filia sweat dropped. "All right."   
  
The shrine maiden let out a little smile. "Good. Then I think we're ready." Before Lina could object, Sylphiel had nudged the sorcerer by the arm to stand her next to the hanging wedding dress.   
  
"Have you done this before?" asked Lina, surprised by the whole bit.  
  
"Well, not exactly. If I stay concentrated, I can hold the illusion for a couple of hours. But beyond that, I sure wouldn't risk it." The blond dragon watched Lina affirm her answer before starting the incantation.  
  
The words were in dragon tongue, the spell much more complex than a normal white spell. At the conclusion of the chaos chant, Filia pressed the jewel on her chest with both of her hands, channeling energies through the semi-precious stone.   
  
The spell bathed Lina in a body of magic, wrapping and cocooning her in yellow strands of light. The delicate spider web throbbed with such passionate energy, hushing everyone with its holy beauty. After a long minute, it finally dissipated and melted away into thin air.  
  
Filia faded at the completion of the spell, loosing her balance and toppling forward. She would have collapsed on the ground if it wasn't for Sylphiel catching her. "So...tired."  
  
The girls looked up at the transformed Lina, now the complexion of a pink fishwoman in her own right. A tuft a red hair gave her the distinct look of the original Lina. Filia had done it all in one step, adding a duplicate of the green kelp wedding dress, the loose silken fabric perfectly molded around her scaled body.  
  
"Lina! That looks good on you!" squealed Sylphiel.  
  
The fish sorcerer trudged off to a full-length mirror in the far corner of the room, the girls sweat dropping at the rear fluke waggling tail. "Wow, I look...pasty." Lina scratched her scales on her tummy in frustration. "Damn, this thing really itches."  
  
"Whatever you do, don't try to cast a spell in your new getup," said Filia, still a little hazy. "The magic on magic would cause me to break my concentration of the illusion."  
  
"You're kidding." Lina was nervously combing the few stands of messy red hear she had left on the top of her head.   
  
Sylphiel gaped at the changed Lina. "I can't believe you got everything right..."  
  
Filia nodded. "Yea, I know. I just hope it buys us the time we need to escape."   
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
Maximilian swirled the delicate concoction of liquid in a glass beaker, closely examining its viscosity. He never thought that it was exactly poison in his mind, but more of a transformation. Just like a set of clothes, it was temporary and never anything life threatening of the sort.   
  
Where white magic only had its purposes, however, those purposes had been so limiting. So he tooled around with Shamanistic magic and added to his repertoire. And the results have been grand, for he had given Uzumara what he really wanted. A fish wife.   
  
"Maximilian..."   
  
On hearing his name, the wizard turned away from his workbench. He didn't like uninvited guests within his laboratory; yesterday's unannounced visitor was still throbbing in the back of his mind. The new swirls the black energy from the opposite end of the tower only annoyed him more.   
  
He waited for the creature to form his entire body, preferring to get a little information out before elimination. He was sure to make quick work of his uninvited Mazoku guest. Maybe this fool was a servant of a human neighboring kingdom? Whoever it was, was surely an idiot.  
  
Maximilian cursed. The Mazoku looked almost human, in fact. A strong one would be a pain in the neck, even thought the creature was still no threat compared to the power of the Cloudminders... Still, it was a distraction. A very annoying one, in fact.  
"What do you want Mazoku? Why do you trespass into my laboratory?"  
  
Maximilian watched the dark creature of the night take a step forward. Tall and lanky, the Mazoku was dressed in a simple green slacks and a full-length black suit coat. Maximilian could see underneath his jacket was an off white fluffy shirt, silken like a noble's wardrobe. The stranger's face was hollow, the skin stretched in and shrunken considerably. He had grayish blond whiskers that drooped considerably. But the most annoying part of the getup it was the large blond hat that covered most of his head, the top point inverted like a crater.  
  
"...I'm here for my master," said the Mazoku. "Call me...Moe. The last of three brothers." He took a step forward out of the darkness, the blackness of the astral plane finally fading away.   
  
Maximilian judged the Mazoku immediately. "You have no claim in being here. Who do you answer to?"  
  
The Mazoku was as silent as a statue.   
  
"Answer me! Before I run out your puny existence-" shouted Maximilian.   
  
As the wizard readied himself, something around Moe's neck caught his eye. It was...slithering.  
  
The Regent's eyes grew wide with a realization. No...it couldn't be...  
  
"Cat got your tongue?" Moe let his eyes light up ruby red as he enjoyed basking in the moment.  
  
Maximilian watched the dark feathery thing slide over Moe's neck, the rest of its body coiled around the Mazoku's torso. Finally, its small head made its appearance next to Moe's shoulder; its skin was as black as coal, its black eyes showing incredible intelligence and guile.  
  
"Excuse me...human," grinned the Mazoku.   
  
Maximilian shuddered as he watched as the reptilian serpent whisper a few choice words into Moe's ear. The wizard pointed rudely up at his visitor. "You're are part of...him?"   
  
"Not exactly," said the Mazoku, turning is focus back forward. "More like his advisor." He scratched the serpent on the back of the head like it was his pet. "Isn't he the most adorable thing?"  
  
"That bastard...how could he..."  
  
Moe threw down his arms, staring down the wizard with his glowing eyes. "You should talk, betrayer. My master has told me of your history. Remember who has your life in their hands."  
  
The Sheik's Regent tried to take a step backwards, but his body was already leaned up against the counter. "I did what was required. What else does your master desire?"   
  
Maximilian watched the black serpent take another half wrap around Moe's neck to speak into his other ear.  
  
"So...my little friend here says you have failed. What a shame..."  
  
"But...I did what was required!" The wizard tried to object but was cut off by the Mazoku.   
  
Moe's eyes glowed again with power; his little serpent friend seemed pleased as well. "No matter. We have a use for you, however...very nice use...indeed."  
  
A bolt of energy from the ceiling hit Maximilian, like it had come out of thin air. The wizard never had a chance.   
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
*Knock Knock*  
  
"...Just a minute!"  
  
Kerchef grumbled. "The Sheik awaits you, dear fish one. I suggest you hurry up in there!"  
  
"She's almost ready!" bleeped the blond dragon.  
  
"...that's too much powdering on the nose...errr..."  
  
"...Wha? I don't have a nose? Why not?"   
  
*Knock Knock*  
  
"Open this door otherwise I will forcibly take it down!"  
  
As if ordered, the double doors to the sitting room both swung inward, opened by each of the shrine maidens. Kerchef and his several guards quick ushered themselves in, eyes blazing ahead.  
  
They stopped only a few feet in. In the center of the room, was fish Lina, the soon to be queen in all her glory. Her delicate face features were covered in veil of green silken cloth, the beauty quite outstanding to the captain's men.  
  
"Ooooh.," loudly exclaimed one of Kerchef's men, the rest of them with their mouths agape in awe.  
  
"How can they be all flabbergasted?" asked Sylphiel.  
  
"Bakas," said Lina. "Humans in love with fish persons. I think I'm going to be sick." She took a step forward as Kerchef bowed and politely escorted the fish bride by the arm.   
  
"Come with me," he asked.  
  
Lina nodded, "Let's get this over with, shall we?"  
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
The mysterious priest looked up into the sky. The sun was rising in the east, its rays cresting over the tall waterfall. About twenty or feet or so above his head was the base of the tallest spire of the Sheik's city; the center marker of power for all its citizens to see.   
  
Where Xellos was peering from was one of the more lavish balcony gardens owned by the Sheik. Even though it was small, its banisters were covered in blooming trees vines; the moisture of the waterfall feeding life giving water to its roots. That and the morning sunlight gave the balcony greenery the perfect conditions to prosper.  
  
It also gave the Mazoku wonderful cover from other spying eyes. Astral plane hiding was so tripe that he barely used it like this morning. Most of the time, he preferred to hide in reality. Not that hiding was one of his better specialties, but sometimes it was the best way to gather information secretively.  
  
Xellos turned to look up at the Regent's window above his head. If Lina's little distraction didn't pan out soon, then he would have to pop in on old Maximilian. Figuring he could only spare a few moment more, something below his feet caught his attention.   
  
He first saw Sylphiel walking timidly in front of a throng of people. The unmistakable figure of the shrine maiden was easy to spot because of her wonderful, purplish hair. He also identified Filia trailing the pack, almost staggering with each careful step forward. Strange, he thought. And then, he spotted the anomaly.   
  
Xellos couldn't believe his eyes. He took a long hard stare at the waddling fish: the red tuft of hair, the wedding dress, and the walk of her...fins. He knew it was Lina. But...how?   
  
A second look back at Filia, and it didn't take long for Xellos to calculate the sorcerer's plan. "So....they thought not making a mockery of wayward spell would get them to escape." The Mazoku chuckled at the thought. "My...my. She is in for quite a surprise."   
  
A rustling from the vines behind Xellos' back got his attention. He bit his upper lip in frustration; for he didn't dare turn his head and face his adversity. Discovering that you were being watched was bad enough, but if they had known he was aware of them.  
  
So he disappeared.  
  
A black serpent fell out from the deep vines, enjoying its moment of freedom as it slipped across the balcony floor. One would think the serpent was temperamental the way it flicked its tongue in and out of its mouth. Actually, it was more to sniff around like a normal serpent than be annoyed at missing its opportunity to pray.   
  
Rising over the top railing, the black serpent looked below at the human figures and then up at the window to the Regent's laboratory. A little tilt of its head and a second later its master popped in from the astral plane.   
  
Moe looked down to where his pet companion was flipping its tongue and stared diligently. "So, you say he was here." He reached out with his bony hand and smoothed the fine feathers on the serpent's blackened head until they shone in the sunlight. "Hardly a concern at the moment. Oh, and she is with them?"  
  
The serpent bobbed his head downward at the party.   
  
"I see." Moe leaned against the railing, letting his lanky body stretch out. The rim of his blond hat was so low that it hid his eyes if anyone did indeed take a look. "Lovely as a fish, isn't she?"  
  
The creature slithered up Moe's arm and twirled around the Mazoku's shoulder to get comfortable. As soon as he was there, he moved closely next to the Mazoku's ear as whispered a few choice words.  
  
"Oh? You can see through it? How can you do that?"   
  
The serpent stared at Moe with its beady eyes, flipping its tongue at double the speed of before.   
  
Moe sighed. "I should have known."  
  
A couple of more whispers from the black serpent, before it twirled around Moe's body. It didn't stay around for long, preferring to land back and disappear under the tropical bushes.   
  
"Well...well... " And the Mazoku disappeared as well.  
  
It was as if Xellos had been waiting on autotimer. For as soon as his interrupting guests had disappeared, the purple priest appeared again, this time sitting on the higher windowsill outside of the Regent's laboratory.  
  
"Yare...yare..." He looked down again at the trailing golden dragon, the rest of the group was already gone. "Shall we play, my dear brother? Surely you jest!" With a wave of his staff, he disappeared.   
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
The escorted girls came to the familiar entrance to the Forbidden Palace. Several sets of guards were already there, abet a few more than what was needed to open the doors to the lavished dome chamber.   
  
"Don't you think you're overdoing it a little on the security?" asked Sylphiel, as she waited for the guard scrum next to the doors to clear.  
  
"Hardly." The captain smiled as he signaled for his men to promptly open the double set of doors to the palace. "I refuse to take chances."  
  
Kerchef's men took their positions while pulling open both the doors at the same time, welcoming the entire group in at once. Loud organ music hit their ears first as they focused on the luxury of the domed palace.   
  
"What's going on?" sneered Lina while looking down the long red isle and the rows and row of nobles and fishman on both sides. "You're not taking me to the bridal suite?"   
  
Kerchef chuckled. "Surprise..." he said, motioning with his arm as an escort to walk down the wedding isle. "Instant wedding!"  
  
The guards laughed before getting shushed down by Kerchef's glare.   
  
"Ummm, Lina?" Sylphiel looked around as well. "I don't think we're getting away so easily from the bridal suite..."  
  
The captain of the guards turned his head down at the fish sorcerer. "Oh? We wouldn't want our star attraction to run away, would we..."   
  
Lina felt sick. Tapping her fish foot impatiently, she looked for obvious avenues for escape. The walls of heavy guards made an escape quite impossible. She could only murmur to herself, the blondness damning her spells. She was going to have to risk it, and right now. So she turned around and looked for Filia.   
  
"Filia?" shouted Lina. The blond dragon was gone. "Filia!" She frantically turned to the purple shrine maiden. "Where did she go?"   
  
The purple maiden shrugged her shoulders. "I...don't know."  
  
Lina barked out a couple of more unintelligent words before blurting something comprehendible to Sylphiel. "What the! Why can't I do a spell!" The sorcerer's voice was laced with fear. "Didn't Filia say that any spell would break the bond?"  
  
"Hai," nodded Sylphiel. "I can't imagine that not being the case-"  
  
The sorcerer cut her off. "Never mind! Just break the spell! Please!"  
  
The shrine maiden spoke a set of chaos words before closing her eyes. As soon as she finished the incantation, she flicked her eyes open wide with total surprise. "I can't!" exclaimed Sylphiel, suddenly exhausted and leaning against the side of the palace wall for comfort. "Something's...blocking it!"   
  
A couple of the rougher guards approached Lina quite aggressively. "Do we need to personally escort the bride to be down the isle?"  
  
The fish woman turned to Kerchef's men. "Now you just wait one minute, buddy!"   
  
Not hesitating for a second, they grabbed the fish sorcerer by each of her limbs. With brute force, they had the fish Lina scampering with her tiptoes just off the ground.   
  
She objected as much as she could. "What are you goons doing! Get off of me!" She tried to scratch her way out of the mess...but she couldn't fully control the coordination of her fish-disguised body that well. Except, for course, for a well-placed kick between the legs.   
  
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" One of the guards hopped around like a bunny rabbit. "Mean fishy!"   
  
"...Lina!..." Sylphiel reached out with her arms towards the sorcerer, but another guard kept the purple shrine maiden at bay.   
"I'm going to try to find out what happened to Filia!"  
  
"Hurry!" said the fish, grabbing another guard by the meaty arm and biting it with her jawbone. He howled in pain, causing hysteria among the rest of them.   
  
Kerchef parked his heavy hand on top off Lina's dorsal fin, shoving the fish to her knees. "Didn't I tell you to behave! Its useless to resist, I know how to sedate your kind."   
  
"Let go of me, you bastard!" The immense hold by the captain made Lina's attempts at fighting back futile.   
  
"It's time to get hitched," he said while tugging Lina's arms above her head. "These are the sad and faithful moments I so treasure. Always a joyful occasion in the end!"   
  
"Are you kidding me!" screamed the sorcerer while being dragged into the Forbidden Palace by the heels. "I'm not a fish! Wait! Get that blond girl over here from before! Help!"  
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
"Get your paws off of me!" shrieked Filia. She was in no mood to take crap from Xellos. "That was a dirty little stunt you pulled back there, getting me away from Lina and Sylphiel." She pointed up the walkway towards the Forbidden Dome, undoubtedly where the accelerated wedding ceremony was taking place.   
  
The Mazoku showed off no sign of resistance. "Its not like you had to come with me, little dragon! I can't believe you were so susceptible to my charms!"  
  
"Cut that out!" shouted the dragon before stepping away from the Mazoku. "I don't care what you say, I'm going back to help Lina and escape this crazy Sheik city. There's nothing you can say-"  
  
"Valgaav," said Xellos.  
  
Filia froze.   
  
Xellos took great pride in his acquisition of knowledge. He didn't take his information needs ever so lightly. Yet, here was a chance to shine a little bit, show it off to the little dragon. He had always enjoyed his status when he had the upper hand.  
  
The dragon grasped her hands in anger. "How...could you possibly know about that?"  
  
"Ano...that isn't a secret?"  
  
The blond turned her gaze onto the Mazoku, her eyes wide open. "Damn you, Xellos!" She took a step closer to the smirking Mazoku. "Damn you..." Maybe...something would give her the answer she wanted.  
  
Xellos patted himself on the back. "So...right after all." He looked over at the dragon, approaching her gently. "Tell me, Filia. I want you to tell me."  
  
No! How could she resist the pull of this! It was disloyal! "I...can't. I will...never...betray."   
  
The mysterious priest stepped forward toward the dragon lady. He was no longer surprised at her anger at him -- once boiling, it had simmered in her mind to a dull roar. Something else was on her mind, and for once, he knew what it was.   
  
"Filia." Xellos let his staff lean unattended onto his body while he reached out with his hand. She didn't resist as his hand touched her neck ever so gently. "I am your priest. It's confession time."  
  
"Are you crazy!" She pushed her mind away but the Mazoku had locked his leeching touch on her. In her emotional frail condition and with her illusion spell still active on Lina, she didn't have the strength to...break away form the Mazoku. She cursed, for like a pitcher plant, she had too been attracted to the Mazoku in the search for truth.   
  
It was nothing more than a release for her emotions. Bottled up as they were, a little coaxing would drain them into his mind. "Tell me, Filia. Where is little Valgaav?"  
  
"No...don't do this...feed on me..."   
  
"Where is the last ancient dragon?"  
  
Filia tried to clam the pain in her heart, the warmth dissolving every second of the anguish. But her own walls broke down each second the Mazoku kept his touch on her. She had adjusted to the pain for a long time now -- more than a month of solicitude on the road had hardened her heart. But all that internal strength she had before disappeared under Xellos' gaze.   
  
The blond's eyes grew wider as she watched Xellos raise his other hand to join his other cupped hand over her chin. His drain was so inviting that she could no longer resist. Another block in the wall crumbled.  
  
"I don't have him anymore. You know that already."  
  
"I do..." He grasp at her neck, feeling her arteries as she slowly closed her eyes. There! As began to feel the emotions flow up from her mind. Pain. Anguish. Fear. Dragons were always so stoic individuals and therefore it was quite unusual to capture their raw passions. Yet, when an emotional feeding came, it was furiously tasty. The power...the sensation...   
  
"Who do you trust, Filia? You, the last of your golden dragon clan." He took both hands and ran them down her smooth skin next to her ears, tucking both fingers sexily along the nape of her neck. "Who is it?"   
  
The blond let a tear fall from her eye. She could feel it run across the grain of her cheek and down her face, finally stopping firmly against the Mazoku's clammy touch. The...pain. The torture...she had to release the last of it...   
  
"Tell me, little dragon. What secrets do you hide..."  
  
And she let it go.   
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
Filia remembered like it was yesterday. A late afternoon, during the closing her mace and teashop. The squalid weather of light rain and strong winds had kept her teashop quite busy with customers. She was happy for the business and when it finally dusked, her patrons left her friendly shop for home.   
  
She sighed, finally finishing her table cleaning in the front area of the café. She could hear her assistants, Juras and his companion squabbling and then laughing in the back kitchen. More likely than not, the two of them were playing with soap water. Indeed, she wanted to avoid breaking up their little fun.  
  
She looked over at the basket where Valgaav's egg was warming, its light bluish hue tinting the rest of the café. She could swear in the last few of days the little ancient dragon had stirred around a quite a bit. Still, it would take several more months for little Valgaav to hatch.  
  
A string of bells by the front door rang as a new customer entered, followed by heavy feet and the ping of a heavy wooden staff hitting the ground. Filia didn't want to even look up at her guest, her eyelids too droopy. "I'm sorry sir, but we're closed. We'll be open in the morning-"  
  
A deep beckoning voice answered, "I would like some tea, please."  
  
"I said we're--" She looked up at her late night visitor, her remarks coming to a screeching halt.   
  
"Hello, Filia."  
  
"Oh..." She watched as the figure approach her, avoiding the light. Then, the candle in front of her gave off just enough to recognize the robed figure.   
  
"..." Filia swallowed her tongue, not daring to approach the stranger.   
  
"As expected..." muttered the stranger. Red eyes glowed back at the dragon, a stare of recognition. "from a betrayer of the golden dragons." He walked over to Valgaav's egg and looked into the basket. "And yet, you're raising an ancient dragon."   
  
Filia scolded her visitor. "I don't report to anyone in my clan." She folded her hands over her chest in a sign of solitude. "Dark Star. The terrible price of the prophecy."  
  
The figure half circled around the basket of Valgaav. "I see...that now..." He reached down and softly touched the egg. "Tell me, Filia..."  
  
Filia nervously stirred around, her emotional barometer rising. "What...are you doing?"  
  
The stranger looked up at the dragon lady. "Times change. We've lost so many members in last few centuries. But the past...those transgressions always remains a constant." He took the Valgaav egg and held it gingerly in his hands. "I have something for you to do."  
  
The dragon cringed as she looked at the stranger. "What are you?"  
  
"It's time, Filia. Time for the reappearance of the Cloudminders." He cradled the egg in his arms, finding the unborn ancient dragon surprising warm. Filia had done quite well for herself.   
  
The blond took a step backward as she watched every movement in the stranger. "How can you be so naïve? I don't want to be apart of this! I won't do your wished!"   
  
"Oh...you won't?" The stranger reached into his garments and pulled out a heavy book. "What if this were your little dragon?" He pounded a leather volume on the table with such force that the whole café rattled with the sound of thunder. "I suggest you obey, dearest Filia. This book is a lot stronger than this timid eggshell. Remember that."  
  
And before she could object, the stranger was gone. Even the ringing bells of the front door were silent. "No..." She drew her hands close to Valgaav's empty basket and threw the baby blanket aside.   
  
"No!" Only the cupping of her hands over her face could cover the disgrace, as she let out streaming tears of pain. "Valgaav!"   
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
Xellos congratulated his willing partner, watching as tears of sadness poured from her eyes. "Weakened because of that spell on Lina. I had to do something to get you to open up."  
  
"Xellos..." She twisted her head, making the Mazoku release his grip over her emotions. So she grabbed her mace and smacked him in the chin. So hard that he fell to the ground. "Baka! I can't believe I let you take advantage of me so easily!"  
  
The mysterious priest kneed himself up, rubbed his bruised face at the same time. "Oh? And what did I do!"  
  
The blond threw the mace aside, still standing over the Mazoku with a fire of hell in her eyes. "Xellos. The trickster. The mysterious priest. What other aliases have you used in your lifetime! Twenty? Thirty?"  
  
Xellos did a quick check in the back of his mind before gleefully turning back to the dragon. "Actually, One hundred and seventeen timex. You have to remember, little dragon. I've been around for quite a while."  
  
"Bastard. I bet you couldn't tell me the truth right now." She flapped her tail impatiently, watching for Xellos to answer. "Well... oh, and it has to be something I don't know about! Telling me that the sky is blue is a big waste of my time."  
  
"Ano..." The mysterious one poked at his chin for a second time. "Actually, you don't think Lina became a blond on her own, don't you?"  
  
"Wha?" pointed Filia, getting more and more upset with every passing minute, "two-timing, dirty crossing-"   
  
Xellos finally didn't attempt to hide the truth. "But of course. I needed to know exactly if you were part of it. I had my suspicions that you were in on it from the get go, of course."  
  
A sudden thought crossed her mind as she checked her outside influence. "You've been masking and keeping up my spell up!" She made a sudden plunge towards Xellos, managing to barely grab the Mazoku by the neck. "Why?"  
  
He threw her hands up his collar, trying to get Filia's grasp off of his neck. "That is...outside your only question. And, therefore...that is...a secret."  
  
"Aaaagh!" She dropped him like a sack of potatoes.   
  
Xellos looked away with of the corner of his eye for an easy escape. What he did spot was a couple of white robed figures scurrying around to the back entrance of the Forbidden Dome. Perfect, he thought.   
  
"Oh Filia..." said the mysterious priest before nodding his head in approval. "When was the last time you played dress up?"   
  
"..." silently objected the dragon before upping her temper again. "You really think I'm going to listen to you!"  
  
"Ahh..." The Mazoku leaned in closer -- personally to get the golden dragon's attention. "It is assured that if you don't help me, then Lina will most certainly perish. Quite easily, in fact"  
  
Filia gulped.   
  
"Good. I see you do play for my team." He threw his arm out proudly, causing his cape to billow. "Follow me."   
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
The fish bride tried to resist Kerchef's push, but she couldn't turn her awkward body around to kick the captain in the neither regions like his underlings.   
  
Kerchef was equally having trouble, even with his experience in disciplining fish people before. He had one hand on a rope that kept Lina's arms tucked quite closely to her body. The other hand held her dorsal fin tight against his chest, making sure that it wouldn't turn up and punch him in the jaw. Many years of practice had given him the skill when handling fish people before. Therefore, he was surprised that Lina was still acting very...human. Probably because of the recent transformation, he surmised.  
  
The elevated orchestra, the same one from last night, began to play the wedding march; a version that anyone would have recognized as rather over the top with too much cymbal crashes.   
  
"Walk," commanded Kerchef. "Down the isle."  
  
"Let go of me!" cried Lina, trying to get loose of Kerchef's iron grip. "Didn't I tell you that I'm not getting married!" Her words shouted dully off the noble audience, quite immune after seeing her display from the night before.   
  
Kerchef pushed the fish bride down the red carpeting. "Do you want to make a public display on your big day!" He urged her forward with gentle kicks to Lina's underside, in which she'd let out a little yelp with an angry roll of her eyes.  
  
The sorcerer could see Uzumara waiting at the far end of the red carpet. The Sheik was lavishly robed in a white silken suit, his body adorned with sparkling diamonds and gold. Even his plain black pearl strings from before were occasionally laced with emeralds the size of quail eggs.  
  
Lina waddled up to the Sheik, all smiling. "Nice setup you have here. Hot date tonight?"   
  
Uzumara was not amused. "Yes, I have one."  
  
Kerchef made Lina bow little curtsey before turning to the crowd, scanning it for help besides Sylphiel. No sign of the golden dragon -- wherever she was, Lina was sure she was knee deep in it with Xellos.  
  
"I'm very glad you're enjoying your wedding ceremony."   
  
The sorcerer looked blankly at the fish Sheik. "I never said that!" Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a female painter who was just starting the lines of herself next to a finished Uzumara in tux. "What's she doing here?"  
  
"Our wedding pictures, of course."  
  
Lina fumed, pushing the poor woman's artist easel over with the flick of free dorsal fin. She was quickly mobbed by Kerchef and a couple of his guards and severely pushed to the ground.  
  
"Enough foolishness!" The Sheik gently clapped his handing together in double motion. His guards and attendances heard the warning, scurrying to complete their tasks in record time. "This ceremony begins now!"  
  
A couple of white priestly robed figures entered from opposite ends of an elevated stage. They looked at each other as they came together before turning towards their audience. "Please, step forward." said one of them, waving the Sheik and Lina to join them up on the higher platform.   
  
Lina thought that it was strange that these priests had their bodies, and even their heads, were fully covered by the same fluffy white and gold silken threads as the Sheik. It hid their public identities very well.  
  
Kerchef looked perplexed. "What weirdoes performing today..." Uzumara shushed his adopted son before turning back around. The Sheik was not about to call off the ceremony because of a happenstance, figuring the Regent was just spicing up the ceremony a bit.   
  
With a voice all too familiar, Lina could only scrutinize the mysterious priest and his assistant, carefully looking for clues to their identity. A flash of purple thread from just underneath the hemline of one of the priest's robes was the indication. She thusly swore.   
  
The priest's assistant scurried over to the sorcerer's side. "Now behave, young bride. We can't have any of that baloney Lord of Nightmare language up here."   
  
The fish sorcerer looked up into the eyes of the shrine dragon. "Fil..." She took a half step backwards before catching herself. "What are you doing with...him?" thumbing her nose toward the disguised Mazoku.  
  
"Saving your ass," responded Filia, as she covered Lina's fish mouth with her own index finger. The sorcerer had no choice but clam up and keep the rest of them out of trouble -- which only made the Lina sweat drop some more.   
  
The disguised priest was busy lighting a caldaria of candles on a rear alter table; a normal procedure by most wedding standards. However, this one was humming a little ditty, all while using his index finger as a combination blowtorch and lighter.   
  
"Geez..." thought Lina, realizing that Xellos was immensely toying with everyone, especially the people that knew who he really was. Besides, his digit flame was doing a very easy job of lighting the twenty or so candles.  
  
"Why can't you just light all of them like a normal person!" bleeped the golden dragon.  
  
From behind the silken head cover, she could have sworn the Mazoku was smiling. "That wouldn't be any fun." Xellos turned around the audience, ever so tolerant. "Patience, little dragon. We're waiting for the right moment."  
  
Filia gaped at the disguised Mazoku. "Waiting for what? I'm going to break your little spell, and then I'm changing Lina back into her blond self!" She twisted her hands around until they were positioned for spell casting.  
  
"Ano...you probably could." Xellos held his crispy finger up, slightly smoking from its lighter stage. "But look carefully, little dragon. Do that and Lina becomes shish kabob." He gently pointed to the double line of Kerchef's guards -- each of them holding a very menacing ten-foot pikes in their grasps.   
  
Filia stared at the bad news. "Oh..."   
  
"Priest!" Uzumara tapped his foot impatiently, the rowdy crowd equally sensing the starting delay of the ceremony. "What seems to be the problem!"  
  
Xellos twisted around, interrupting his candle lighting duties. "Hai...was there something I can help you with, Sheik?" He watched the stare of Uzumara and Kerchef not on his face, but squarely at something else. The Mazoku took a second to look down at his burning digit, thus screaming off a little fake yelp. "OW...ow...ow..."   
  
"Get on with it!" shouted the Sheik, his patience wearing thin.  
  
Lina swallowed. "Let's say I don't want get married today. Tell you want! I'll swing on by here tomorrow and--"   
  
Kerchef reached out and grabbed the collar of Lina's wedding dress, enforcing his physical will on her. "Stay, little fish girl." His words were as icy as his touch. "I wouldn't want to fillet you."  
  
Lina gulped, turning her attention back to Xellos and Filia. One of the cups of wine placed on the alter table had already been accidentally 'spilled' by the dragon. The muttering blond blotted the table with too many silk napkins, trying to clean up the mess -- all while apologizing every second she could get.  
  
The two of them caused all sorts of ruckus in stalling the ceremony. But why? What was the point of delaying the enviable? Wincing again, she watched as Filia fumble Xellos the ceremony book, letting it fall down and slide off the elevated stage.  
  
Xellos stared as his book as it tumbled away, watching it smack to the Sheik's foot. "Oops..."  
  
Gimping in pain, Uzumara was fed up with the comedy bit. "Don't you know the wedding service from memory? By Cepheid, what kind of priest are you?"  
  
The purple haired priest tugged at his robe nervously, as if looking for a way out. "A mysterious one? No?" He shook his arms like a fluttering newborn bird trying to fly for time. "Well...it has been a while. I think its something about a human not wanting to marry fish person. "  
  
The nobles in the crowd hushed, for Uzumara had had enough. "Seize him!" He turned to his trusted captain of the guards. "Kerchef...take over for Maximilian's inept fill-ins."  
  
"Yes, Sheik." Kerchef's men executed the orders precisely; their pointed pikes surrounding Xellos and Filia. The two raised their hand in a surrendering fashion as they were quickly shuffled off the stage.   
  
"You could have tried harder," prodded the shrine dragon. "Baka."  
  
Xellos was complacent. "More time, Filia. Just a moment longer." He looked up at the ceiling and then was deafly quiet to the dragon.   
  
"Damn it! Listen to me! This crazy mess is all your fault!"  
  
Lina sighed at the arguing enemies, so much like a married couple that it disgusted her. She interrupted them with a stern lecture. "Xellos, what do you think you going to accomplish with just...delaying the enviable like this!"  
  
Xellos neatly sidestepped the question. "Hmmm... I wonder where Maximilian is at the moment..." Answering his own question, he jumped up and down in his shoes like a schoolchild. "I know! I know! He's washing his wizard's hat! How perfect!"  
  
Lina cringed. "Where did I go wrong!" She shook the cobwebs from her head, knowing her escape window was closing fast.   
  
The crowd quieted as the ceremony began again. Kerchef was on stage with Xellos' wedding book out, the priestly role reduced to belting out the melodramatic passages. "We are gathered here...to join our Sheik of the City with this fair fish..."  
  
Xellos seemed to be totally aloof as he sniffed the air. "You know, little dragon...I would have never thought of that before..." He nudged himself gently against Filia's soft skin -- getting the shrieking reaction from the dragon that he so much enjoyed.   
  
"Eeeep!" Filia's tail stiffened in the air like erected flagpole; those eyes of hers narrowing down while she growled. "Leave me alone, filthy namagomi!"   
  
The Mazoku grinned. "So...go ahead. Let it go."   
  
"What crazy nonsense are you talking about now?"  
  
"Release her. It's not like you want to keep it bottled up all this time..."  
  
Filia blinked. "Wha? Release what?" She didn't understand the Xellos' strange request. Blinking her eyes, the cryptic message hit her like a ton of bricks. "Are you crazy! Didn't you say before, with all these guards around?"  
  
"Hai." Xellos flicked his eyes back up at Lina, at which even Filia could understand.   
  
"Bastard." Filia shot Xellos a dirty look before closing her eyes in order to concentrate. Spilling out a couple of chaos words from thoughts from a not-too distance time before.  
  
A sudden flash of lightening appeared, as if the magic was perfect slight of hand. There was a poof of white, completely covering where Lina the fish stood. It dissolved in seconds as if stripped away by a gust of wind, revealing a very feminine Lina -- her blondness in all its glory.  
  
The noble crowd saw it all; the whispering and murmuring rising so loudly that it built to a ruckus.   
  
"What kind of sorcery is this?" The Sheik blinked at his new wife to be, disillusioned from the whole show before. He pointed behind Lina at her companions and friends. "Which one of you is responsible...for this fake atrocity!"  
  
Lina knew that she had returned to her blond self, so she ran. "Got a go..." she said, with a little wave of her hand. "Ta-ta!"   
  
"Kill them!" barked the Sheik. "Now!"   
  
The royal guards had anticipated the Sheik's orders, already charging towards the blond sorcerer with their menacing pikes facing forward. A few of the close ones were kicked back by the blond as she almost toppled forward. There would have been a run-in with a pike if the purple shrine maiden hadn't caught Lina by the cape, thus saving her from a fatal fall.  
  
"Thanks. But any ideas to get away?" asked Lina while looking up at Sylphiel's smiling face.  
  
"None at all."  
  
"Crap! I hate this!"   
  
The floor shook suddenly as if ticked off. Loud crackling sounds echoed from beneath everyone's feet, covering the floor with a web of black cracks. The little bit of dust that was on the marble floors scattered around like sand blown by the wind.  
  
"What's going on?" Lina though it was only her personal instability on high heels, but a check from everyone else confirmed it was not her blondness.  
  
The trembling grew in size as the Forbidden Dome's walls shook painting off its walls. It grew louder and harsher as a chair or two toppled over. Fright entered the faces of every man or fish, scattering the guards into a disorganized frenzy. Everyone was horrified on what was to happen next, except a smiling Xellos.  
  
"Eeeeep!" The dragon had just defended herself against one of the other guards before accidentally balancing herself against the Mazoku. When she saw Xellos' grin was from ear to ear, she pushed him away with both her hands. "What are you so happy about! Baka!"   
  
"Can we run?" Sylphiel had taken to leaning on the back wall as she first noticed the buckling floor. "Oh...my..."   
  
"Hold on!" Lina stared as marble tiles disappeared and fell into darkness below. Other places were erupting with tunnels of hot air like a teakettle's steam from its release value. They multiplied on the floor like rabbits.  
  
Seconds later, the crackling marble floor exploded. Huge gaping holes swallowed guards and nobles alike, their bodies disappearing within the choking dust. The explosions dropped powder and debris around everyone like falling snow, turning the visibility down to zilch.  
  
The dust separated Lina and Sylphiel away from her other companions, the Sheik, Kerchef, and his troops. They backed up a couple of more feet as a boulder blown in from underground fell and shattered around them on the marble floor.   
  
"Who's doing this?"  
  
"I haven't got a clue." Lina turned her head rapidly back and forth looking for trouble. "Whoever it is, Xellos was delaying everything for this enviable."  
  
As the rumbling and shaking stopped, the still choking dust made exit visibility impossible. The few nobles that managed to avoid the pits escaped with their lives. The other ones found the new holes in the marble floor...and to their own horrifying discovery they left nothing save the dying pleas for their lives.  
  
Sylphiel shuddered in fear, grabbing onto the blond Lina for support. "No...!" Still tearing, her nerves turned as she halfheartedly stepped forward, determined to save lives. "I...have to..."   
  
"You can't!" Lina latched onto the purple maiden's wrist, pulling her back against the wall of the dome. "If you go out there, you'll never make it!"  
  
"But...I'm a shrine maiden!"  
  
Lina shook at her head. "You go out there, you die for nothing." She pulled the shrine maiden close to her. "What's the point of that!"  
  
The purple maiden bit her lip. "But what about Filia! She's still out there!"  
  
The blond winked. "She's a big girl. Besides, I have a feeling that Xellos is looking out for her..."   
  
The two ladies stepped as carefully as they could, their backs touching the outer circular wall while inching their way towards the front door.   
  
More shocking cries for help came from behind the dust clouds. The purple shrine maiden again took a step forward to help, just as Lina managed to pull the shrine maiden back by the wrist.   
  
"Please..." answered the blond sorcerer. "I might not be able to hold you off next time..."   
  
"Hai, I understand." Sylphiel nodded with tears streaming down her cheek.   
  
Lina looked out into the covering dust cloud; its viscosity improving by every minute. They could see the swiss cheese-like marble floor, the holes easily outnumbering safe places to walk. Whatever tables, chairs, and other wedding decorations that were present before were either missing or splintered in small piles of debris among the bottomless pits.   
  
"I think its over..." The blond sorcerer was about to sigh a little relief when something dark slithered in and out of her view.  
  
At seeing the moving shadows, Sylphiel jumped up and grabbed the blond tightly around the waist. "Uhhh, I don't think we're alone." As soon as the purple shrine maiden had said those words, Kerchef and a couple of his men emerged from out of the dust clouds.  
  
"What have you done!" The captain pointed at the two strangers with his scimitar drawn. "Where is the Sheik! You two... are bent on revenge!"  
  
The former redhead sweat dropped. "What you're talking about! I would never want to kill people and fish like this!"  
  
"Liar! Now you will pay for your crimes!"  
  
"...Uzumara...where are you..."   
  
All heads slowly turned toward the torturous booming voice from within the dust clouds. The celestial voice was almost indescribable. "...Brother..."  
  
Kerchef turned his sudden attention around at the unknown, his face aghast. "Maximilian! Is that you!"  
  
The online of a blackened creature emerged from the mysterious haze. The giant serpent was at least ten feet long, with scaled body skin that shone black, magical, and very powerful. Stubby front limbs that were more like fins helped the creature maneuver to and fro. But it was its deformed head that shook Kerchef's willies, outlined in the unmistakable deformed bust of the Regent.   
  
"Oh Cephied!" Sylphiel turned her head behind Lina's shoulder, the scene almost unbearable to watch.  
  
"What happened, brother! Who did this to you!"  
  
The serpent came a little closer; the former human lowered his head to the ground as it released its bite on a squirming object, the battered fish body of the Sheik. It slid across the dusty floor, leaving a bloody trail all the way to the far wall, where it smacked it and foundered around with the last gasps of its life.  
  
"Uzumara!" The captain of the guards ran to help his master, cradling the Sheik in his arms. "How could this...happen!"  
  
"Why?" asked the blond Lina, looking up into the Serpent's cold gaze. "There's no reason to be so senseless..."  
  
"Father..." Kerchef was desperately trying to revive the sheik with CPR when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned around, surprised by the calming face of Sylphiel. He offered no resistance as the shrine maiden bent down next to Uzumara, to cast her healing spell.   
  
The changed serpent groaned in pain. "So many years of serving the Sheik. So many times that I had thought it was wrong...I was doing right. All that time...is now fruitless."   
  
"How can you have been so deceptive!" shouted back his brother. "You could have come to me! There might have been a way..."  
  
"Power, dear Kerchef. It was something that I desired a long time ago, no matter the cost. The power...of the Cloudminders. You cannot resist the pull of its feeling, of its ego. Wait until you touch it...and you'll understand..."   
  
"Brother..." shook the head of Kerchef. "What has happened to you..."  
  
The black serpent turned his ugly head down towards Lina. "And you, sorcerer. If you had not interfered, then my chaos boxes would have taken control of this pathetic, lying kingdom!"  
  
"Me?" The blond Lina took another step back until her back was rubbing against the wall. "You think I caused all of this! How naïve can you be?"  
  
"I want revenge!" The serpent of Maximilian moved closer toward his Sheik and master, but the small figure of Lina cut off his shuffle forward.   
  
"Haven't you done enough meddling with the Cloudminders?" snarled Maximilian. "Stay away from it! Otherwise, it will bring you nothing but death! Like me..."  
  
"No." Lina tilted her head lower so her blondness covered her eyes. "I...can't do that."  
  
"What nonsense is this?" The serpent roared a shrill that shook the walls of the Forbidden Dome. "Why must you be here!"  
  
The blond looked up. "A friend...in need. Someone I that care about...very deeply," said the blond sorcerer, straining her voice. "He's..." She swallowed her breath, finally coming up with the courage to say the words in her mind. "He's been cursed...by those chaos boxes. And I made a promise to him...that I must fulfill. And if I don't succeed, them I will...take his life!"  
  
Sylphiel heard Lina's plea, turning her head in shock towards at the blond sorcerer. "No! How could you let Zelgadis talk you into that!"   
  
The blond sorcerer took a step forward. "And that is why...my life is not equal to his. Many times before, us humans have fought for our lives. I am...their hope. Their champion of sorts." She laughed at herself, hearing how ridiculous she sounded. "And I will try...once again."  
  
"So be it," grunted the serpent, igniting darkening power around his eyes. "No matter, Lina Inverse. You shall die..."   
  
Lina took step back, tripping for a second.   
  
A fireball... no she couldn't do it! There had to be another answer!  
  
She looked around for it in the back of her mind. Here was battle, not as an entertainment but as a check against her life. She had no choice but to defend for her life.   
  
"Fireball!"   
  
But she slipped again as the spell was cast out of her hands! Curse this blondness!   
  
The serpent Maximilian dodged it easily, laughing at the blond all the way. The fireball exploded against the ceiling behind the serpent, blowing a sizeable hole through the roof. It was over even before it began.   
  
Lina cursed, just managing to dodge out of the way of falling ceiling before dropping back a few more feet. She jumped again and fell to the ground, just missing the energy shots emitted from the Serpent's eyes.  
  
"Lina!" mumbled Sylphiel, putting up a shield of protection.  
  
All the action shot more dust up, covering each other's sight line. The black serpent blew with his mouth the dust clouds away, hoping to uncover the fallen sorcerer and her companions. He moaned, opening up his eyes all the way to see, This was taking much too long...  
  
"...Power vested in me, come forth!"  
  
"Aaaagh!"  
  
A huge ball of light blew out of Lina's hands, illuminating the room in an angry glow that blinded the serpent. Blind as a bat, Maximilian thrashed around the golden dome with his tail, hitting every where he remembered the blond had been. He had been outwitted once again...  
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
"Love that spell," commented Lina as she stared up at the front doors to the Forbidden Palace.   
  
'Run!" shouted the passing Kerchef, who was still carrying Uzumara on his back. "We can't be here!"  
  
"Come on!" Sylphiel took Lina's hand as she looked behind her at the collapsing building before turning forward.   
  
The domed palace was unable to take any more punishment, shaking for a final time before its vaulted roof finally gave way. The collapse started with its outer walls folding in like an accordion, followed by the top of the dome falling down in one huge swoop. As the vaulted roof finally touched down, it let out a roar of vibrations that echoed into the air with a thud.   
  
The group had run so quickly that was no longer on the ground by the Forbidden Palace, but on the overhanging walkway to the city below the waterfall. Already, the walkway was shaking, the only escape visible to them was the elevator lift down the lower city.   
  
"Let's go!" Kerchef didn't wait one second for the two ladies, choosing to load the carriage with himself and the fallen Uzumara draped across his back. "Come on!" he shouted to Lina and Sylphiel, telling them to board.  
  
Both of the girls looked at each other in disbelief. "Are you sure?" asked Sylphiel, watching the walkway crack like an old fresco painting. But she didn't have a chance to object as Lina dragged her into the lift.  
  
Kerchef had his sword out and swung it at the pulley ropes, releasing a couple of the counter weight lines that held the carriage in its high position. He knew was he was doing, apparently because the lift swiftly dropped like a weight to the safe ground.  
  
Escape didn't last long.   
  
From up top where the lift had come from, opened a hole for the serpent of Maximilian. His head stuck through the overhanging ledge hole staring down at his prey.   
  
"Kerchef! Come back with the Sheik's bride and face your brother! Or do you betray me!"  
  
The captain of the guards looked up as his family abomination. "I don't you what you have become, but we no longer come from the same strip of flesh!"  
  
"Fight me!" Maximilian wasn't satisfied with letting them go, choosing to lower his twisted body into the ropes of the carriage. His snake-like body tangled the lines instantly, stopping the escaping cable car from descending .  
  
"Bastard!" Kerchef held one of the corner lines of the lift in agony, while the carriage swayed to and fro wildly like a swing into the wind. "You'd rather kill us all to satisfy your sick needs?"   
  
As the hostages held on for dear life, the carriage swung up closer and closer towards the cliff of rocks and falling water. If the sudden descent of a broken carriage didn't kill them, then the wall of water rapids would definitely finish them off.  
  
Sylphiel turned to the blond sorcerer. "Can you cast anything? Like a spell to get us away?"  
  
The sorcerer looked up at the shrine maiden, the very look in her eyes was of her confidence draining away. "I...want to...but... If I wasn't lucky back there, I would have..."  
  
"What about levitation? I can carry Kerchef, but someone has to carry the Sheik..."  
  
"I can't...risk it..." Lina lowered her head and shook it, disgusted with herself.   
  
The cable car rocked again as Maximilian snapped one of the four corner cable support lines. It caused the lift to twist in the wind, heightening the chance of death.  
  
"Shoot him!" yelled Kerchef, daring the sorcerer to take the offensive. "What are you waiting for!"   
  
All Lina could do was hide. "I...I..." She looked up at Maximilian and then down at her feet in fear. "I can't! Believe me, I've tried...!" She felt her whole body shiver as thoughts of impending doom pounded her mind.   
  
"Lina..." The shrine maiden put her hand onto the blond's shoulder, trying to comfort her friend.   
  
The blond turned her anger back at the captain of the guards. "What in the world did you do to me?"   
  
The carriage shook again from the pressure being applied into the lines. The once human Maximilian was doing his best to drop his enemies to the ground. He finally succeeded in snapping a second corner lines, opposite of the first rope. One more, and the four of them would topple out of the unstable carriage to certain impaling on the rocks below.  
  
"Can't you do something!"  
  
"Didn't you hear me before?" The blond almost fainted from the strain in her voice. "I'm...useless!"   
  
And that's when Lina heard the whispers of a familiar spell from behind her. "...buried in the flow of time..."  
  
"Sylphiel..." She twisted around and watched the shrine maiden's face strain under the immense concentration of Ruby eye's spell.   
  
"Hopeless..." blunted the smiling serpent while staring down at the purple maiden's spell. The former white wizard was either totally naïve or didn't know exactly what Sylphiel was molding in her hands.   
  
But when the gist of the spell's power lit the sky, Maximilian became quite apparent to the power of Ruby's spell, its redness reflecting over his glazed eyes.   
  
"Dragon Slave!"  
  
Sylphiel's spell rang true as the massive chaotic sphere of energy shot out of most gentle set of hands even seen. The ball of energy rapidly accelerated up towards the elevated walkway, its aim straight towards the heavens...with one serpent on a rope in the way.   
  
"Holy Cepheid!" exclaimed the captain. "That thing is huge!"  
  
"Go..." Lina watched as Sylphiel with her outstretched hands, controlled the flight of the ascending Dragon Slave. Amazing that the shrine maiden had learned the finer points of the spell so quickly, for she did indeed have the necessary photographic memory for copying her own favorite motions. She knew Shabby's spell would take out the entire bridge and the debris of Forbidden Dome -- it would be lucky if any one of them survived at all.  
  
If it were possible, the serpent that was Maximilian...smiled while dragging his forearm forward. Lina couldn't figure out why he'd be rather smug...until she spotted it conspicuously tied to one of his useless limb. For firmly within the serpent's hold...was the unmistakable outline of a chaos box.   
  
"Abort it!" The sorcerer threw her blondness into Sylphiel, breaking her concentration over the spell. The shrine maiden's arms waved forward if just for a second, arching the dragon slave spell arching just enough off course like a falling star.   
  
"Lina! What are you doing?"   
  
The sorcerer was too busy watching the dragon slave arch through the sky. She could see the chaos box absorb some of the spell's energies, peeling away a layer or two like removing the skin of an onion. But the hungry chaos box was just too far away to completely trap the wayward spell.   
  
"Oh crap..." bleeped Kerchef.  
  
The dragon slave arched though the waterfall, smacking the rocky cliff side just underneath the Forbidden Dome. A thunderous roar released walled ocean, spilling super-heated rock into the steaming rivers below. The high causeway cracked and splintered directly in the middle, its disintegrating structure showering down a hail of rocks and debris.   
  
Maximilian the serpent was nowhere to be found...  
  
Water hit the small lift like a leaf in the wind, tossing them mercilessly towards impending doom. Lines snapped as their carriage was thrown through plumes of water as it rapidly fell to the ground where it splashed and sank right into a moat of water, just to the left of the lower castle.   
  
The Sheik was first up to the surface of the water, swimming the backstroke like almost nothing had happened. Kerchef was next with his head poking out of the water. Lina and Sylphiel popped their heads up next, their hair so wet that they looked like drowned cats.  
  
"We're saved!" thanked Kerchef and he hugged the blond Lina in delight. "That was close!"  
  
"Get off of me!" The sorcerer pushed the captain off her back, diverting her attention to helping Sylphiel. The purple shrine maiden needed a little boost while getting out of the water, even though she was surprisingly no worse off than aching from the falling impact. As she finally kneed herself out, she collasped back down onto the ground, exhausted.   
  
Lina sighed. She was about to pull herself up and out of the water with a half-turn when a strong nimble limb tugged at her wrist. She took the help, bringing herself up onto dry land.   
  
"Its so nice that we get to save you again, Lina!" Nene mothered Lina a bit by removing a long strand of seaweed from her hair.   
  
Mimi blinked in surprise, removing the sand from the blond's shoulders. "Wow...you sure look different."   
  
"Uhhh...yea. It sure has been fun." The larger Lina stood up, a foot taller than the kawaii twins. She watched Nene pull the flailing Kerchef out of the water with the water-nimble Sheik in tow. "I wouldn't want to do it again. Not for a million years."   
  
A half dozen or so locals from the lower city had already formed a crude semicircle around the survivors, interested in the unusual strangers had come from the very castle of so called human rulers. They murmured between each other, curious that a fish was dressed up with the exact kingly robes of their pictured human leader and thought to be current Sheik.   
  
Kerchef tried to defend his Sheik with every known word. "Subjects! Citizens! This is not what it seems! Your ruler is up...there!" He pointed desperately at the collapsed Forbidden Dome. "This person is just...an emissary from another kingdom! I swear."  
  
The locals frowned with doubt. "Liar!"  
  
"I can't we were deceived...by a fish!" News traveled fast as the apprehensive crowd's size swelled, threatening to become a restless mob.   
  
"What a coward!"  
  
The horde swelled. The survivors had no choice but to back up until their heels were on the water's edge. Without the protection of the Sheik's guards, Uzumara and Kerchef were unable to defend themselves.   
  
Lina took a little jump up on Nene's and Mimi's shoulders and whistled.   
  
*PFfffft!*  
  
"Listen up, everyone!" With her blondness still as asset and her body dripping sexily wet, the crowd's attention -- especially male attention -- was on her.  
  
"...Yea...you go, girl!"   
  
Lina frowned. "Now, I know that you're all flabbergasted that the Sheik is a fish. Believe me, even I was surprised."  
  
"You had better believe it!"  
  
"...Roast the fish!" The crowd acted as if they were the judge, jury and executioner all wrapped into one -- determined to mock and finally dispose of their false leaders.  
  
Hesitating for second, Lina continued to pour on the bad news. "And... you may already know the Sheik has been hiding the fact of his heritage for so many years." She could sense the mob was beginning to turn for her, so determined was she to push forward.   
  
"Just remember what he had provided for you?" Lina pointed to the irrigated lands around them; their fields filled with a bountiful of crops. "Who do you think made this city? Who?"  
  
The mob paused, listening to every word from the blond sorcerer as she pressed her point. She saw a couple of the younger locals stop forward to attack, but older members of the crowd held them fast.  
  
"We could have built this place," said one of the little ones, stepping up to challenge.  
  
"Then have your fathers and mothers tell you of a time long ago. Yes, you older ones. Back when your grandfather's grew up and lived in this desert. You should ask them how hard nomadic life was. Do you want to return to the former ways that your family lived?"  
  
The memories of harsh desert life popped into the crowd's head, calming them for the moment. There was water here, and food. Shelter. Clothing. Life...was better. It was better than just survival.   
  
Lina took a second to eye Kerchef and the Sheik, letting out a little half grin before continuing. "Beyond the fallen palace is a port run by the fishman. In fact, the Sheik has been hiding the legendary fishdom ship port for decades!"  
  
The crowd broke out into a flutter of talk. This luxurious port run by fishman! It was something of legend to travelers and men alike. It was supposedly...on the other side of the world? In fact, it was all the way around the world...so far, that it was here! Their brothers, the fishman, ran the trading port known to all! Here!  
  
"You bitch!" shouted Kerchef, his scimitar ready to strike down the blond.   
  
Before he could charge, the two ninja twins held the captain by each of his arms. "Hey, that's our friend Lina!" shouted the ladies in unison, not used to holding down such a beast. "You can't do that to her!"  
  
"Let go of me! I'm going to murder her!" Kerchef twisted around and swung his muscular arms across his chest, flinging the ninja girls back in the lake. Easily breaking free had only excited the captain more. He growled at the upcoming fun as he charged the blond, his weapon raised high in the air-  
  
He didn't expect the Sheik to grasp his own wrist firmly, thus holding him steadfast. "Uzumara! What are you doing?"  
  
The Sheik discouragingly shook his head. "No, don't do this. This...is wrong."   
  
"What are you saying?" Kerchef lowered his weapon in shock.  
  
"We should have done this a long time ago... I have...been wrong."   
  
"No! I won't!" countered the captain. "It will ruin us! I won't let her destroy everything that are parents built!"  
  
"Kerchef!" scolded the Sheik, making his adopted son stoop for a second. "Do you think they would be happy with your brother right now! Do you?"   
  
Uzumara pushed forward until he was in between Lina and his captain. "Today has been...quite difficult. I must apologize for my subordinate here."  
  
"How can you say that?" yelled Kerchef.  
  
The Sheik stared back at the captain. "Listen to me, son. I cannot afford to lose both of my adopted children. I had always thought that you were the one that might turn on me, never figuring that it would eventually be Maximilian. After all, with his training in white sorcerer's knowledge, I always thought he would protect me." He took a good look at Kerchef from head to toe. "You have become quite a man, my son, and I trust you now more than ever."  
  
Kerchef didn't know what do say.  
  
"Maybe once," continued the Sheik. "long ago, when I was lad, such things would have been handled differently..." He slowly turned his attention towards the subdued crowd. "Time has taken small steps, for I am an old fish."  
  
The captain was astonished. "Father..."  
  
The commoners could sense the ring of truth in the air as the Sheik turn to them with both of his open palms in the air. Even though his royal clothing was rich and beyond the means of many, his clothes gashed and ripped with his fish body dirty from all the action made him one of them. Yet, he was still a very proud individual, as conceited as there was in the world.   
  
"Listen, my friends. Let me a story from a long time ago..." The Sheik weaved his tale of ancient history from what seemed like forgotten times; all started with an account of his mother and adopted father-in-law. Indeed, the Sheik never did forget his most cherished memories, for they were full of tragedy, hopes, and desires. Most of all, it impressed the rowdy mob into stunned silence. The sorcerer could see there was not a dry eye in the crowd.   
  
"Lina..." said Sylphiel, clasping her hands in admiration. "You did it!"  
  
The blond sorcerer gave the shrine maiden a small V with her two fingers, toned almost to a silence due to the circumstances.  
  
Kerchef angrily sleeved his scimitar back along his waist. "And what about the nobles! The ones that are the merchants for trading ships?"   
  
The Sheik held his open hand out to his adopted son. "They will, unfortunately, lose some of their power. And this kingdom may never be as rich as it is now, with much less success down the road. Still, the only thing I know is that it is a small price to pay..." He turned her attention to the blond Lina.  
  
"Ano..." The blond sorcerer blushed deeply before focusing her attention on the Sheik. "I...I..."  
  
"First of all," nodded the Sheik, "thank you."  
  
Lina bit her lip. She wasn't used to gratitude these days. "Well, its about-"  
  
Mime interjected right in between the two of them, directly entering into their conversation. "She says you're welcome." A little slap on the back by Nene all but sealed the deal.  
  
"Damn..." said the blond sorcerer. "What else could happen."   
  
"You have one more thing to ask for, Lina," pushed Sylphiel, padding her comfortably on the other shoulder.   
  
She looked blankly at her purple haired friend. "I do?"  
  
"Come on. I know been trying to get it off...your chest."  
  
The ninja girls chuckled.   
  
Lina sighed a bit, thinking how the consequences would weigh in her mind. No doubt, she said to herself. Not anymore, at least after today. No way she was going to let it slip on by and forget about this nightmare of a day. It was time...to put aside a dream...   
  
"Lina..." begged the shrine maiden. "Please."  
  
The sorcerer looked squarely into the Sheik's eyes. "I don't want to be a blond!" The courage came from deep within her heart, saying it from within her very soul. She turned again the other way to tell the rest of them. "You heard me! I don't want this body! Its not...me! Never! Never again!"  
  
Sylphiel smiled from ear to ear.  
  
Uzumara stepped towards Lina, bringing his hard up against Lina's cheek. He pushed away a curl of blondness that was covering one of Lina's eyes. "So...you want to be a fish. How special it will be to be my wife after all."   
  
"No way!" fumed Lina. "Change me back to normal human being!" Her eyes darkened in total frustration. "After everything that has happened today, don't you think that's the right thing to do?"  
  
The Sheik frowned. "Are you sure-"  
  
"YES!"  
  
He bobbed his head again before turning to Kerchef. "Take her to Maximilian's laboratory. Find your brother and stop him."  
  
"Understood." Kerchef bowed to his father-in-law and then to the twin performers. "Watch him. And don't have any wine."  
  
Mimi shrugged, "Oh, really? We can't drink?"  
  
"Yea...and we just raided the dessert tray before the wedding..." whined the other twin.   
  
Kerchef cringed at hearing Nene's news, deciding not to press the issue. He quickly turned his attention to the blond sorcerer. "Let's go. Now."  
  
"Hai." Lin looked around for her friend just as fast. "Sylphiel? Where are you! We need...your firepower!"  
  
The purple shrine maiden nodded. "Hai... Right behind you!"  
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-   
  
"Gee. Wasn't that fun?" smiled the mysterious priest. "I was wondering when you would stop whining."  
  
"Be quiet." The golden dragon was busy combing excess dust out of her hair. "I don't like to be carried about like a trophy girl."   
  
"Awwwe..." sniffled Xellos. "Isn't that what loved ones are supposed to do?"  
  
"Are you crazy?" She shot the Mazoku an incredulous look. "I am definitely not your friend, girlfriend, wife, or anything even remotely related to any of those categories!"  
  
He lowered his artificial guard, moaning loudly. "I can't ever have fun."  
  
The blond fumed a bit more before taking in their new darkened surroundings. The two of them were enclosed in narrow square shaft, singularly lit by a small ray of light from the ceiling. There was barely enough illumination to see up the shaft more than a few feet. A set of ropes ran down the center of the shaft to the uneven wooden floor below -- clearly the top of a moveable elevator lift.  
  
"Can't you turn on a lamp or something!"  
  
"I could, but being in the dark like this... it's sort of romantic. Don't you think so, little dragon?"  
  
"Umph!" Filia sidestepped just out of the Mazoku's reach. "You should know better when seducing a golden dragon," said Filia, stepping carefully around the elevator ropes in get a better sense where she was. "Why can't we take the elevator like normal people?"  
  
"I have my reasons." Xellos turned his head up and looked up the path of the elevator. He raised his staff high into the air, glowing red light up the entire shaft, thus illuminating the impressive height of the vertical tunnel. "Is that better?"  
  
Instead of looking up, Filia stared wide-eyed down at her shaded hands, drenched in the light of the Mazoku's power. At first, she thought they were immersed in blood. So...blood was on her hands. It was the price of what she had to do.   
  
This is what it was like to be under the power of a Mazoku. And the stain...would never come out.  
  
No! She shook her initial thoughts away, realizing that it was Xellos bathing her body in the power of Shabernadgo. It's only...the power of a Mazoku. Then why...was she forced into this?   
  
Xellos nodded his head, amused by the dragon's reaction. "So...it is no longer foreign to you." He looked up down and suddenly spun his staff around so the head of his quarterstaff was held in the palm of his hands.   
  
Filia could see the anger entering into Xellos' face. Seriousness. What shallowness and amusement that had been his facemask before was suddenly stripped away, leaving an emotional core that scared every bone in her body. She shuddered at the sight of the true Mazoku, fearing the worst.   
  
Xellos gritted his teeth, stabbing the tip of his quarterstaff just above the elevator's roof. He jostled it around, letting out little spark of fire, handling it with the ferocity of a wild animal.   
  
Filia could just make out the half-darkened portrait look of Xellos' face...of pure unadulterated pleasure.  
  
She screamed.  
  
Something wailed a quick deathly sound before falling off to the side of the elevator lift. She could hear it squirm a bit as it finally fell through a crack area below the elevator car, finally disappearing from her range of hearing.  
  
"What...was that!" Visibly shaken up from the encounter, Filia leaned down on her knees to catch her breath.  
  
"Aaaah...we had a little visitor." The mysterious priest turned his calm face back toward the dragon. He had already masked his hidden core, reverting back to his usual aloof demeanor. "Some things are better left unsaid."  
  
Filia slowly nodded, determined for once not to push to the issue. "Hai. So what are we waiting for?"  
  
The elevator shook and suddenly descended down the darkened shaft, apparently answering the beckoning call of potential passengers. "We're escorts, mind you." He turned to the dragon and let loose a little smile. "After all, we saved the world once...what makes it that we can't do it again?"   
  
She had never been so frightened in her life.   
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-   
  
Kerchef, Lina, and Sylphiel ran in informal triangle formation quickly into the open main entrance of the lower castle. They moved quickly in step of each other, all determined for this day to end.  
  
"Where's this secret underground laboratory that Uzumara mentioned?" asked Lina, flexing her hands in anticipation. "I can't wait to get my hands on Maximilian for changing me into this...thing!"  
  
The captain turned his attention to Lina. "Be careful what you say, sorcerer. After all, he is still my brother."   
  
"True. But it's not going to be a piece of cake. We may have to fight him on his own turf, especially if he's still a serpent."  
  
Kerchef frowned. "I know, I'm not looking forward to this. Nevertheless, we have little choice."  
  
"Speak for yourself," smiled the blond. "I can't wait!"  
  
"Why you-"  
  
Sylphiel interrupted the two of them by interjecting a new question. "So...how far down is the laboratory within the lower castle."  
  
"Well, for one thing, it's not down," answered the captain. "When we started building the lower castle, our builders found the ground was too sandy to support an underground cavern necessary for a wizard's laboratory. So, under Maximilian's orders, we built the rooms of his laboratory within the tallest spire, the farthest possible distance away from the commoners."  
  
Sylphiel gulped. "Oh...this doesn't sound like fun at all."   
  
"The highest tower?" exclaimed Lina, as she also muttered something about climbing to high places. Indeed, her experiences from just a week before in Monte Darlo were not of happiest of times. "And believe me, I'm really kind of not looking forward to hiking so many stairs."  
  
"Oh, don't worry. There's a lift to Maximilian's laboratory." Kerchef turned left without pointing, making both the ladies lose track of the captain. "Quickly! This way!" He waited a second for the other two to catch up before continuing.   
  
They arrived at a closed ornate doorway with no visible knobs or latches to pull upon. Kerchef had his scimitar out, using the handle as a knocking hammer against the bronze-encrusted door. "Hey! We're going to Maximilian's laboratory! Hurry up!" He knocked again on the unmarked doors until they finally open split in the middle, withdrawing themselves into the walls.  
  
Lina and Sylphiel were immediately stuck dumb by the intense luxury of the elevator. They saw plush red walls overly draped in silk, patterned with crisscrossing lines of jewels. The far wall of the elevator was lined with the same type of luxurious couch that matched their own suite room. Giant brass hand rails and poles, thicker than Lina's wrist, helped the passenger secure themselves within the lift, the reflection of the brass only made it even more gaudy.   
  
But the strangest sight was a human-like frog, dressed in a red and black suit with coattails, all while sitting at the controls of the lift. He sat like a small child with his short squatty legs overhanging the edge of a simple wooden stool. One of his webbed hands was securely on the elevator's control leaver, while the other hand urged his visitors into the lift.  
  
"Come in, come in." he croaked. "Long time no see, captain."  
  
Kerchef stepped in with his sword still unleashed yet safely tucked in by his waist. "Yes, operator. It looks like my brother has redecorated lately."   
  
Lina and Sylphiel followed the captain into the luxurious elevator, their eyes glazed over. "I think we're going in." As soon as the ladies stepped into the elevator, its heavy doors closed quickly, almost trapping Sylphiel's cape in the process.   
  
"Going...up!" The operator switched the lever up, jerking the elevator with a couple of shakes that had the two ladies scrambling for balance. Quickly, however, they were climbing up; indicated by a wooden control arrow turning a couple of degrees to the right.  
  
They stopped. "Maid's quarters," bellowed the frog operator, like he was counting off a procession. The doors threw themselves open as a couple of servants shuffled in, each holding a stack of plush towels. The lift snapped its doors shut and creaked upwards.  
  
And it stopped again. "Pantry & Storage!" The process repeated itself as they added another couple of passengers. Lina tapped her foot at the delay, sulking in the back of the elevator.  
  
And again. "Bakery!" Another jolting by the elevator caused Lina to twitch, with Sylphiel noticing this time.   
  
"We'll get there," she said, resting her hand on Lina's shoulder.  
  
"Kitchen Prep!"   
  
"Enough!" shouted Lina, squeezing between Kerchef and a servant before grabbing the operator by the necktie. "Stop at the next floor, right now!"  
  
The frog froze the elevator immediately with his control leaver, opening its doors a few feet higher than the floor of an open room of supplies and boxes. Lina didn't waste a second, pushing all the servants out the door as they stumbled out onto the lower ground. The poor indentured workers scattered away from the door, trying to get away from the crazy blond as fast as possible.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Kerchef, clearly annoyed at Lina's frisky behavior.  
  
"Getting there before dark" pleaded the blond, before turning her attention back to the operator. "And you too," she said, tossing the frog out like excess baggage. "I can control this elevating rust bucket in my sleep."  
  
"Burp!" The operator tried to instruct Lina as best as he could. "Wait a sec, don't pull the leaver too far--"  
  
"Blee...!" Making the ridiculous face with her eye and tongue, she let the operator 'have it' until the elevator doors shut on her beleaguered expression.  
  
"Going...up!" The blond sorcerer shifted the control switch up all the way until it 'clicked' conveniently at the top. The elevator responded like a rocket, taking off within a moment's notice.  
  
"Liiinnnaa...." Sylphiel was desperately holding onto the side of the railing with all her strength. Kerchef wasn't having much better luck; he was collapsed head first into the couch, swearing like a pig.  
  
The blond tugged the leaver down all the way, but whatever resistance there was in the handle was suddenly missing. "Wha...it's not working!" She could still feel the elevator accelerate upwards; the floor indicator turning clockwise like a windmill. "How do I stop this second-rate piece of junk!"  
  
Kerchef turned his large body over on the couch, gleaming his eyes at the sorcerer while his head was still glued to the couch. "Blonds are nothing but a walking disaster!"  
  
Just like it had accelerated, the lift suddenly stopped at its top floor, bouncing up and down a few more times before finally settling to a standstill. The elevator doors opened, spilling out three very dizzy passengers onto the floor, weary from being thrown around like a dandelion seeds in the wind.   
  
"Uhhh..." whimpered the purple haired maiden. "I don't feel so well..."  
  
Kerchef had found a window ledge nearby, needing a bit of fresh air....  
  
Thinking that she was hearing something, Lina turned her head around back toward the closed elevator doors. "Damn..." she said under her breath, swearing to the faint moaning in the elevator shaft. She shrugged it off, finally hearing the empty lift leave as it lowered itself down.   
  
"Must be the wind." She turned and helped Sylphiel off her knees. "Come on, that wasn't so bad!"   
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
The three of them turned the corner, coming though the open doorway to Maximilian's laboratory. They stopped immediately within a foot of the entrance, staring in disbelief at the disaster before them.   
  
Everything was the infernal mess. To the right were his experimental countertops, stripped bare of their delicate beakers and glass jars as if a giant hand has whipped them clean. The cabinets above the countertops were open wide and missing of their contents. And everything that was missing above made up the muddle of broken glass, bubbling liquids, and other assorted junk sprayed on the floor -- the mess already colligating on the floor.  
  
Maximilian's large study desk on the left side of the lab was also ransacked. Scrolls and important documents of Maximilian's were pulled out of cubbyhole draws and ripped to shreds. The papers were chaotically shredded as if done by hand -- even it would have taken a haste spell to rip so much, so quickly.   
  
"Be very careful, Kerchef." Lina poked around the floor of the desk, looking through the papers for clues. "I've seen this before and believe me, it wasn't a pretty sight the first time." She spotted the small ripped corner of an outline -- of a very familiar print design of a cloud -- and swept it aside.   
  
Shocked, the captain spun his head around like a top. "Who would do such a thing? A Mazoku?"  
  
"Probably. Whoever is it, did it at Temple of the Water Dragon King a few days ago. The first time they were looking for something. But...this...this has to be different. Maximilian knew too much about the Cloudminders. And it looks like it was very valuable information. This time...they're covering their tracks."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive. Let's hope the Regent wasn't stupid enough to leave all his Cloudminders information around to be picked through." She kicked a piece of broken glass in frustration. "This is only some of it..." The blond stepped into the center of the room, finally giving up. "This can't be it!"  
  
"No..." Kerchef pointed up at the ceiling and metal scaffolding several floors up. "The private library...its up there. However, there's no way to get up there except by levitating." The captain nodded a bit before looking back down. "Not a bad security system, I might add."  
  
"Oh really? Time for a look see..." The sorcerer recited her levitation spell, lighting her body up with magic. As she finished the chant, she took a little jump off before collapsing back down onto stone ground in a jumbled heap, mumbling. "Now how are we going to get up there?"  
  
Sylphiel came over to the blond, putting her hand on her shoulder once again. "Come on, I'll give you a lift."  
  
Lina looked at the ground. "Damn...I'm so useless."  
  
The shrine maiden clasped her hands around the blond's waist, not giving a second for Lina to react. The sorcerer blushed slightly as they ascended towards the second floor of the lab.   
  
"Hold on..." chimed Sylphiel as they shot up like a rocket.  
  
As the two of them landed safely on the upper lever, they couldn't help to feel they were too late. Maximilian's homemade library was in ruins; just like his downstairs area. Books were scattered all over the floor, either split open by sword or ripped by hand from their bindings.   
  
"This doesn't look much better," said the blond.  
  
"Lina...look here..." A thin trail of dried blood led from one of the opens windows and down the metal scaffolding to a central area in the middle of the tower.   
  
They raced down the elevated walkway to a centrally placed metallic table wiped clean of its contents. The dust layer on the table was pocket marked with the cleanest of squares -- a sure sign that a set of previous objects had been recently stripped from the table's surface. Now those objects d'art were gone.   
  
"Over here..." said Sylphiel, as Lina saw it at the same time.   
  
"...Maximilian!" finished the sorcerer, her eyes glazed over.  
  
The now again human was bruised and broken as if beaten like a rag doll. The gray robe that he wore before was blotched and sticky from covering huge bloody wounds. The v-shape neckline left a view of his chest hair caked down with dried blood. Next to the Regent's body was his own quarterstaff, covered in a mix of sticky hair and blood -- leaving little doubt to the source of the brutish weapon used against his own human body.   
  
"He's not in good shape..." said the shrine maiden, trying to further gauge his injuries. "I'm not sure-"  
  
"Brother...are you there?" coughed Maximilian, not recognizing the moving images within his vision. He pleaded insanity for a second while focusing on who his visitors were. "I am...such a fool."  
  
"Shhhh..." Sylphiel was trying position herself in order to cast a healing spell, while Lina blotted at a deep bleeding gash on Maximilian's forehead.  
  
"Kerchef's downstairs," said the sorcerer, unable to look squarely into the Regent's eyes. "Hold on a second, we're going to get you stable with a healing spell..."  
  
"No! Leave me, now!" Maximilian threw his bloody hands into Sylphiel's view, stopping the shrine maiden's concentration with little strength he had.   
  
"But...you'll die!" pleaded the shrine maiden.   
  
"I have no choice!" The Regent coughed multiple times before dripping a few drops of red fluid from the corner of his mouth. "Baka. You don't understand that you can't save my life."  
  
"You think I want to save your ass after putting me through this personal hell?" Lina let off with an explosion of anger, the frustration compiling in her mind all day long. "Well, think again, buster. You're changing me back from being a blond."  
  
"Don't you see?" shouted the Regent, "I'm already dead. How do you think I was able to change back into a human?"  
  
The two ladies looked blankly at Maximilian, not grasping his turn of events.  
  
The Regent continued. "You see, I managed to get control of my mind...if only for a second. In those precious moments after your attack on my serpent form, I was able to come here... and use the chaos box to cleanse my body of his hateful magic. The after effects, however...is that my body repels all spells..."  
  
"So?" sneered Lina. "It sounds like you'd be safe from a fireball or two-"   
  
The impact of the Regent's words hit her like a ton of bricks. Because Maximilian had used the power of chaos on his own body...because he had not just controlled the magic to turn back into a human, but had drained it like a drain from his body... that he knew what he had become. He knew with his body, charged with the chaos energy from the Cloudminders...was now able to repel any spell.   
  
Able. No, more than able. More like immune.   
  
Lina swallowed her tongue, following the sequence of the battle in her mind. The Regent's assailant must have tried an attack spell or two with little success. Realizing that the Regent was temporally immune, the Regent's assailant took Maximilian's own quarterstaff...and physically beat him to his deathbed.  
  
The blond sorcerer shook her head, traumatized by the wizard's intense pain. No white magic could cure or even relieve his physical throbbing. So...horrible...   
  
"Baka...this isn't normal..." she rattled off, her stomach queasy as hell. She fisted her hand in frustration, pounding the metal causeway. "Why are so many people dying for these...secrets."  
  
"What's going on up there!" yelled Kerchef, still on the lower level. "Is my brother up there? Is he alive?"  
  
Sylphiel went over to the railing. "He's..." She looked back at Lina, who signaled a little nod. "Hold on, I'm coming down," she said, throwing her legs over the banister.  
  
The sorcerer turned back to the fallen Regent, her body exasperated with fear. "Why did you hide the secrets of the Cloudminders from us?"   
  
The regent shook his head. "The power...it was like I was one of the gods. I prefer to think of it as a blessing, instead of a curse..." Maximilian stirred around, preferring not the dwell on the news of his personal demise. "Lina, help me up to the table."   
  
Lina could not understand how the Regent was still alive, the injuries were some of the worst that she had ever seen. She was even flabbergasted that the Regent hadn't even faded into unconsciousness -- surely the pain had to be unbearable. So...what was keeping him alive?   
  
The sorcerer put her thoughts aside while she reached around the Regent's body with both of her arms. With a tight bear hug, Lina brought the wizard up from his crumpled self back onto his feet. Turning him around slowly, she faced Maximilian towards the display table, positioning his clammy hands so they leaned his body forward.   
  
"Over here..." The Regent reached with his right hand back underneath the table, pressing a release button. It shook the table slightly as a panel to a hidden chamber folded up, revealing a miniature chaos box and a couple vials of clear liquid. "Quickly..." He could no longer hold his leaning balance, slowly collapsing onto the metal floor.  
  
"Damn!" Lina tried to catch Maximilian, but she stumbled on the metal grating before tripping face-forward. Still, she managed to get her own body underneath the Regent's head before it could smack the hard ground.  
  
Maximilian nodded a bit, tilting his head at an ugly angle. "The vial...it will work overnight on the chocolate you had last night..."  
  
"What? And I thought you drugged the wine we had at dinner the night before!"   
  
"Not quite. You actually need to ingest both. The mix of them is how the spell is formed." He coughed again before leaning his head down again.  
  
"Damn chaos...its a curse that could only be dreamed by death itself..."  
  
Oh Cepheid, shouted Lina within her mind. She finally realized why the Regent was still alive, his very life a single step away from death's doorway. The chaos effect that Maximilian wasn't just a painkiller neutralizer...but it was keep him alive. Living with the unbearable pain but unable to die...until the chaos itself dissipated from his body...   
  
Luna trembled from within her thoughts. "Who would do this to you!"  
  
"Those who know the Cloudminders..." Maximilian looked at Lina with a sense of total deliriousness. "...Ancient...dragons..."  
  
Lina froze. No, she couldn't believe the truth as it rang in between her ears. No...  
  
The sorcerer could see the very chaos seeping out of the Regent's eyes, like a hot water mist leaving a teakettle. The chaos...it was angry at its beholder's final act of betrayal. Time was short-  
  
"...Please...tell my brother I'm sorry..."   
  
And then, he was still.   
  
Lina's eyes grew wide as the wizard's last words repeated in her mind. "It can't be..."   
  
The Regent's body was suddenly clammy, its warmth disappearing like the rays of the setting sun. With no more chaos, the human form was nothing more than a rotting corpse, the fire of its life extinguished.  
  
Thoughts raced thought Lina's mind. "No! The ancient dragons are...gone! If they are the Cloudminders...then..."   
  
She stood up just as fast, her hands shaking profusely after every step. All she could do was feel the fear from Maximilian's last words...  
  
Cursing, Lina suddenly remembered Maximilian's last two parting gifts from this world. The sorcerer ran to the secret compartment and took one of the Regent's clear vials of liquid. "Well, I sure hope this is the stuff." She uncorked the top and drank it lavishly. It tasted like chalk and went down just as thick. "Damn, I guess I'll have to wait until morning for this stuff to work..."  
  
She turned her attention towards the miniature chaos box that had found a home in her other. She was about to hold it up for a look when a voice sprung up from behind her.   
  
"So... we didn't finish the job."   
  
Lina spun around, the chaos box still in her hand.   
  
"More...secrets... My master will be pleased..."   
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
Filia kneeled down across a thick crossbeam, her hidden place high among the wooden rafters of Maximilian's laboratory. From her lofted position, she could watch Lina and Sylphiel as they attempted treatment on the injured Maximilian, So...horrible was the Regent's condition that she almost turned her head away in shame. As hidden as she was, all she could do was look down at the scene below.  
  
Leaning against the wall behind her was Xellos, still stretching his back out. He muttered something about being used like an accordion before turning his thoughtless gaze on the golden dragon.  
  
"So...go down and help them," flatly said the Mazoku. "I know your shrine dragon's urge is calling you."  
  
"Yes...it is..." She snapped her head back at Xellos. "Your scheming with Lina has cost so many lives. Why did you have to upset everything?"  
  
"Yare..yare..." Xellos nodded down at the sorcerer. "When will you learn that sacrifices are sometimes...necessary. We couldn't have Lina marrying Uzumara." The mysterious priest was zealous with his own thoughts. "Besides, it wouldn't have driven out the Mazoku working for-"  
  
"I desist your sickening methods to the bitter end." She pulled down the hemlines of her dress in disgust. "I refuse to be a pawn in this sick game of yours."  
  
The purple priest opened his hand and waved down towards Lina. "Then go down and help them."  
  
"Fine!" Filia boldly stood up and looked down on her friends.   
  
And then, she froze. "I...I...will go...in a second." A little tingle of her tail made her twist her head around, nearly butted heads with the smiling Mazoku.  
  
"Oh...really?" Xellos stuck his tongue out playfully, touching her nose--  
  
"Baka!" She felt for her mace from under her dress, pulling and attacking with it all in one motion. "You!..."  
  
But Xellos was gone.   
  
"What am I doing..." she said, loosing the tight grip on her mace. "I...can't go though with this!" The mace finally gave way , clunking down next to her foot impassively, "Please, Cepheid, give me the wisdom I need..."   
  
Something from behind her caused the dragon to shift her head ever so slightly. A little tuft of smoke appeared out of thin air; quickly dissipated as quick as it had appeared. From the center of the movement emerged a human, sweeping away the energy as it made its grand entrance.   
  
The golden dragon's eyes went up and down the visitor's body, her mind like a blank slate. When the thoughts finally came to her mind, all she could do was whisper out a couple of words...   
  
"Oh...no..."  
  
-  
---o--o--o---   
-  
  
Lina could see the Mazoku's smoke from her backside, quickly presenting the chaos box within her open hand. "Take one more step buddy and I suck you dry. Understand that?"  
  
"Yes...I do..." Moe said, rubbing his bony chin in frustration. He seemed to be sensing something in the air as if receiving a subliminal message. Alas, he frowned bitterly. "So, my acquaintance is dead, to the hands of that no fault, goodie two shoes, golden dragon."  
  
"You mean Filia?' said Lina, taking a couple of encircling steps around the Mazoku.   
  
"You are correct." He raised his arm again, interrupting the sorcerer. She could swear the Mazoku was smiling at the latest subliminal news. "Ahhh, I have been told of something else very interesting..."  
  
The sorcerer leaned back just enough for the Mazoku to feel to flight emotion in her mind. She didn't dare show it in her posture, but her blondness had betrayed her once again.   
  
This intrigued the Mazoku to no end. "Ahhh...the great Lina Inverse...and she's scared of little old me. Now I am interested."  
  
The sorcerer cursed, doubling her show of the miniature chaos box. "I said stay back!"  
  
Moe's eyes grew wide, finally recognizing the chaos box in Lina's hand. "My...my...so you are not the defenseless blond what was described to me..." He chuckled, taking a step forward while licking his lips. "Tell me...how do you expect to activate such a chaos box? You have no stone for it..."  
  
The blond swallowed, reaching with her other hand among her hidden waist compartment. Very carefully, she took hold of the chaos stone and pulled it over her chest.  
  
The human Mazoku's eyes glowed red as he charged forward, catching the blond sorcerer by surprise. "Oh no you don't!"  
  
His crude attack was to run his flying body into the blond, causing Lina to go flying backwards head first into the empty bookshelf. She hit the wooden shelving quite hard with the back of her head. After the stunning impact, her hand accidentally opened up enough for the chaos jewel to squirm free onto the metal ground.  
  
"You really need to work on that delivery. I smelled that little plan of yours from the very beginning..." He kicked a couple of books, knocking them into the body of the fallen blond sorcerer.   
  
Lina shook off the blows, using her hand as a brace to push herself up to her knees. She reached instinctively up at her jaw at the pain, discovering her lips were dripped in her own blood.   
  
He laughed. "In the end, you're a lot less threatening as a blond."  
  
Lina spit disgustedly at the floor, turning her eyes over at the Mazoku. "You know me...and what I'll do to you when I get back to normal."  
  
"But that's not going to happen." He kicked again, this time missing the scurrying blond as she rolled out of the way. "Maybe my master will allow me to keep you as a pet. How unfortunate how that can never be the case."  
  
Lina had moved as far away as she could go, but there was nothing behind her except for empty shelves of bookcases. She got to her feet and grabbed a large book to use as a shield, but the Mazoku slapped it out of her grasp a second later. Her eyes grew wide, as there was no place else to turn for help.   
  
Slowly yet silently, the Mazoku reached up with his glowing hand, ready to strike down the blond sorcerer. A second later and it would be all over.  
  
"Lina!" Sylphiel put up her shield just in time from blow, protecting the both of them from the attack. She was already breathing quite heavily, taking a second to look up before bowing her head in exhaustion. "Hold...on....!"  
  
What! thought Lina. "Where's-"  
  
A shout came from higher in the tower. Elevated above them so far high was Kerchef, dangling by one of the hanging curtains. He dropped like a rock, repelled down the fabric like a maniac his scimitar drawn high in the air.  
  
Lina sweat dropped at the lucidity. "Kerchef! What are you doing!"   
  
The Mazoku chuckled at the effort, letting the blade strike his shoulder. He laughed again as the cutting edge dissected across his chest with a perfect diagonal slice through his body. Moe's body unpeeled for just a second, before folding back and healing itself.   
  
"Fool...that doesn't hurt for a second... "   
  
But before the Mazoku could swallow his own words, the wound line appeared again, glowing hot white with energy. The Mazoku's eyes glazed with weakness as he fought the internal shocks throughout his body.   
  
Kerchef smiled, lowering the blade and then raising it against the Mazoku's neck. "A final present from Maximilian. My brother ran this very blade each and every day against his chaos boxes. Its residual effect...are quite numbing to a Mazoku's life form."  
  
Moe cursed, gritting his teeth while trying to keep his body whole. After more than a few seconds of concentration, he managed to stabilize his body. But the toll of the attack was the removal of his humanoid skin as it melted away like pudding. Where bronzed desert skin had been was burnt black and crispy like coal; his lovely tan hat was no more than a cinder of its former self.   
  
"You bastard. You drained me, and permanently." When Moe looked up again, he saw the blond sorcerer with the chaos box in one hand, her chaos stone in the other. His mind reeled, his body temporary unable to flee for safety.   
  
Lina fingered the chaos box, managing to pull open the top with the long fingernails she had acquired as a blond bombshell. Shrugging, she attempted to plug the crystal into the chaos box, but all it would do was clink like an unmatched set. She fumbled the crystal and tried again. The chaos crystal from Monte Darlo... it didn't fit.  
  
The Mazoku pointed and laughed. With his mouth wide open...  
  
"Why you!.." Lina pounded her foot impatiently, glaring madly at the chuckling Mazoku. It was useless to attack the Mazoku without her powers. Damn it! She was more annoyed at his fat trap than anything!   
  
An idea smacked her in the head. "Sylphiel! Flare Arrow!" she yelled.  
  
"But Lina..."  
  
"Do it!"  
  
"Hai!" The purple shrine maiden started the words of her spell, determined to get it right...  
  
"Just try it!" snarled the Mazoku.  
  
"Oh yea!" With force, the blond twirled, shoving the open-ended chaos box down Moe's throat.   
  
The Mazoku didn't know how to respond, swallowing his words on the sharp edges of the unlit box. "Wha...!" He tried to close his orifice and smash the delicate box, but it that was proving to be harder than desired.  
  
"I like...you quiet!" The sorcerer looked back at the frowned Sylphiel, her awaiting diminutive flare arrow was just small enough to ignite a couple of matches.   
  
Lina pointed right at Moe's trap for Sylphiel to see. "Right...there!"  
  
"Hai!"   
  
The shrine maiden's flare spells would usually have little effect on a Mazoku. The delicate chaos box, however, was a perfect target, splintering open in a flash of fire. A second later, a charging Lina took her chaos stone and slammed it home around the broken box.  
  
"...Bi...tch!" There was just enough intact chaos box left to ignite the energies that it had long since desired. The strong pull of chaos, so close to Mazoku energy... It was a feeding frenzy, even as the box threw itself apart. And before Moe could repel it with a spell, the chaos fires around the crudely broken box blew the Mazoku's cranium off in a small explosion of fire and chaos.   
  
Moe's human-like body fell down onto the metal scaffolding, thumping like a falling tree trunk on the walkway. The Mazoku's blackish sticky form melted though the thin grating, dripping like pudding to the ground below.   
  
The blond sorcerer looked down at her fallen opponent, watching the body fall away like instantly melting snow. Sticky remnants of the broken chaos box lay scattered among the muck. She kneeled down next to the biggest pile and found her quartz-like jewel, picking it out with a clean handkerchief.  
  
"Gotcha..." she said from the corner of her mouth, "and don't ever try that again..."  
  
"Lina!" Sylphiel leaned down next to the sorcerer, helping the blond back up to her feet. "Are you OK?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine..." The sorcerer let the quartz-like stone shine in the light for a second or two, admiring the danger and raw power of the chaos stone. So delicate and beautiful was the stone itself; for without its accompanying chaos box it was a piece of art.   
  
"What do you see?" asked the shrine maiden.  
  
"The mysteries of the Cloudminders," as she looked thought the clear stone. "What other truths are you hiding..."  
  
Kerchef stumbled back from where his brother was lying, tears streaming from his eyes. He was distraught, talking to himself as the same time. "I...may never forgive myself for this," he cried, before disappearing once again.  
  
Lina looked at the disappearing Kerchef, the strength in his eyes fading fast. She tightly gripped the stone in her hand, staring around for answer, but there was not as much as a whisper, even from her own mind. "And we will fight to live, like so many times before..."   
  
The sorcerer collapsed unconsciously into the arms of Sylphiel. This battle was finally over so she could dream...of the City of the Clouds and their masters...  
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
-  
  
Well, the one year anniversary of this novel-length fict has come...and gone. This chapter...has been the most difficult...but alas, its downhill from here... ^_^   
  
- Incantrix  
incantrix@dreamclouds.com   
  
Also, master of the sleepy Slayers Fan Fiction Archive  
that's www(dot)slayersff(dot)com !!!  
  
Yes, that's the reason for all the crazy '-''s Stupid ff.net won't give me two carriage returns for formatting :evil  
  
-  
---o--o--o---  
- 


	11. Chapter 11: Secrets! Destiny Strikes Aga...

---o--o--o---  
  
-   
  
[Xelas] {Quietly files her nails, just painted a nice shade of black}   
  
[Author] You're my guest for today? What happened to Lina?  
  
[Xelas] What do I look like? Your secretary?  
  
[Author] {sweat drops} Errr, I'll have to check my calendar. Can I get back to you on that?  
  
[Xelas] Baka. Where's that aperitif I ordered? Waiter!  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Slayers: Clouds!  
  
Chapter 11:  
  
Secrets! Destiny Strikes Again!   
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
She lounged in her throne, positively bored to death.   
  
Of course, it was quite impossible for a Mazoku lord to be approaching death since they didn't know the difference -- they either existed or were gone and forgotten. Nevertheless, the act of being bored so close to the state of death that it was death to them, at least...   
  
Looking up at her glass ceiling gave her no added pleasure. Even her transparent shield against the bottom of the ocean was past its prime. Her lordly accommodations were modest at best; she preferred to rule over her Mazoku kingdom with little regard for the rest of the world.   
  
Recently, however, something had stirred the drifting senses of the astral plane. With the fall of Philbrizzo and recent battles with off worlders, the world was again ripe for conquest.   
  
Thus, exactly the reason why she decided that it was safer to stay in her cocoon of power. She much preferred to avoid contact at all costs.  
  
So instead of going out and venturing, Deep Sea Dolphin had sent of her favorite minions to fetch her companion in arms, the greater beast Xelas. She was surprised to find that Xelas was not at home on Wolf Pack island; her forwarding calling card not available. Something...was dreadfully afoot. It alarmed the Mazoku lord to no end.   
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of heavy footsteps entering her little underground chamber. Oh, how she detested company, especially entertaining. Even though she had invited Xelas into her chambers, it was all her other guest's presence that Dolphin could stand. Xelas' shoes gave off an distinctive clicks and these were definitely not the sounds of high heels. Everything else...was an abomination.   
  
She heard a plop next to the doorway, already knowing that it was energy carcass of one of her guards, struck down by her unsightly intruder. Her visitor had absolutely no tact whatsoever. She decided not to greet the stranger at the doorway, preferring to let them come to her.  
  
After a long pause, her intruder stepped forward. "Well...well...aren't you a reclusive one."   
  
The Mazoku lord yawned.  
  
"I would have hoped for a tour of the place, starting perhaps with the foyer." The deep voice was foreboding, its undertones reminding her of death.   
  
Dolphin refused to be chided with insults. "Turn around and leave, if you know what's good for you."  
  
"Ahhh, a welcome. Thank you. You must know then why I'm here?"  
  
"No, and I don't care." Realizing that her visitor was not going to leave, Dolphin stirred from her chair, stepping forward into the center of the room. She looked over at the inert form of her former minion, recognizing it as the one she had sent in search of Xelas. "Such a dishonor. He has some real potential. A shame that you snuffed out his existence-"  
  
"I don't very well care..."   
  
Dolphin looked up with a defiant stare. "I really don't prefer entanglements with other Mazoku. So, I suggest..."  
  
"Tough. Because you are personally involved, as of right now."  
  
The Mazoku lord stared back. "And if I decide to become 'uninvolved?''  
  
Her uninvited guest chuckled. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. If you don't want to play the game, then I can't be responsible for what happens."   
  
Dolphin frowned. She felt pressured to do what was necessary. Whether that was to do something to exeunt her gatecrasher...well, she would see about that. Just...not today.   
  
"This mess... Philbrezzo's mess." She turned around and started her stroll back to the comfy throne chair. "I want no part, so leave me be."  
  
The stranger murmured something that Dolphin could just barely make out. The words themselves eluded her, but the tone startled her mind.   
  
She turned around, never hearing the blade drawing a few seconds before. Because the next sound was of metal swinging thought the air right past her ears.  
  
Dolphin didn't have the time to protect herself... or to do, literally anything. All she could do was watch her body fall away from the opposite angle of her sight.   
  
Her head was dismembered, rolling lazily around on the floor.  
  
"Weak..." said the stranger. "Alive when split in half. Just like the worm you are."  
  
Dolphin wanted to say something, her human form trying to use vocal cords that were suddenly missing. She realized she was barely a Mazoku and how inhuman she actually was. And how useless her fight was...  
  
"There is no reason to keep your title." The stranger picked up the tip of his blade, getting ready to split Dolphin's head like a ripe cantaloupe. "Those who rule the dead are nothing but rulers to themselves....and nothing else."   
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Em timidly picked up the few intact pieces of lumber. The wood beams once made up one of the many outside workbenches her father's men had built long ago. Shattered and thrown around in their battle with Turnip, there were only a couple of good pieces left to make new ones.   
  
"Ummm... Miss?"  
  
She turned around and faced one of Turnip's former slaves. She could see that without Mazoku's spell, the giant of a man was as gentle as a lamb. Eyes, she reminded herself, tell a lot about a person. And the gaze on this man's face was as soft as a queen's pillow.  
  
"What's you're name?"  
  
"Tiny, miss...." His raven hair was trimmed much too short for such a large, irregular head.  
  
To the scientist, it reminded her of a big dorky kid. "I'm Em..." She ducked a little lower, seeing through a little of his shyness. "This was once my home a long time ago. Before Turnip came here...and did his horrible deeds..."  
  
"Oh...is he coming back?" asked Tiny, scratching his chin nervously.  
  
Em looked up at the big guy. "No, he's done..." She picked up a couple of broken pieces of wood next to her feet, getting back to work.  
  
Her new friend emulated her work, picking up assorted debris and gathering it within his enormous grasp. She could see Turnip's other slaves were following his lead, cleaning up the mess around them. She was taken aback by the friendliness of Tiny and his companions. They were kind and willing to help. Under such a spell for so long, they didn't know any life except this one.  
  
"Morning..." said Gourry, equally carrying timbers.  
  
"Hey..." She started to lift up drawings of blueprints, at the same time organizing them on a table.   
  
"What is that?"  
  
"Oh these? They're the master designs to the airship. Cepheid knows if the thing will ever fly. By the way, how's Zel doing?"  
  
"Amelia's watching him now," answered the blond, looking at the table of blueprints in awe. "She said something about needing your help. I think they're up in the house... "  
  
"Gotcha..." She looked out to Turnip's men as they continued to clean up the mess. "I'll be back down here later. Watch them, especially that big one... "  
  
Em saw Tiny cringe within an earshot of her voice. She took notice and smiled, turning away as she walked up the hill.  
  
Gourry waved her on. "I think they're in the main room..."  
  
The hillside was muddy and damp from the previous night's antics. Not much about the walk made her feel better about the situation. With shrubbery torn away, there wasn't much left of the hill to patch back up. It would take a long time for the greenery to grow back. "It...could have been a lot worse," she surmised, continuing with her ascent. "Or better."  
  
Em spotted at the glass sliding door, seeing everything for the first time in dawn's light. It had been dark when they retreated back to her home after their fierce battle with Turnip. The dawn's light could not hide her tired reflection in the glass. It was faint, broken up by the very dirty and smudgy glass. But something in her eye reminded her...of not her father, but of someone else. A warm feeling, if for only a moment.   
  
Age...that's what it was. She saw...for the very first time lines around her chin and in the hollows of her eyes. She didn't notice it before, but the portrait of her dad reminded her of her other family...  
  
She shook her head, the memories coming back to her. No...it was last night! Her battle with...Turnip! It had been her revenge...for everything. Defeating Turnip had suddenly softened the pain from losing her father, only for that pain to be replaced by grief....  
  
"Em..." Amelia had opened the sliding glass door to the scientist.  
  
The redhead was startled from her thought, if just for a second, "Oh, I didn't see you there." She took in the worried expression on the shrine maiden's face. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Come on..," The brunette grabbed the scientist's hand and dragged her into the main foyer. "Zelgadis isn't doing well...He's still changing."  
  
The two girls rushed over to a broken couch in front of the mantle place when the picture of Em's father was hung. The chimera was laid out with his entire body the length of the couch, sweating while covered with an abundant amount of blankets. Em had found some half-decent blankets in the pantry the night before; the two of them able to make Zel a simple bed for the night.  
  
But the chimera didn't look like he was conformable at all. The scientist could see that Zel had been rapidly turning and tossing like a madman trying to break bondage. His skin's surface was so rocky that it acted like razor blades. Zel's body had split open the dirty-white sheets; exposing the underneath moldy couch in a couple of strange places. But most frightening of all was his condition, as he shook like a scared little child...  
  
"Zel... Em's here..." Amelia was nearly in tears. She had desperately tried but had been unable to comfort her fallen hero.   
  
The chimera managed to get a half smile before rocking his head back in a little squeal of pain. He growled, opening his angry eyes...towards the portrait of Em's father.   
  
The scientist shuddered. In all his stubbornness, the chimera was determined to drive his mind insane at the same time as his body was killing him. He continued to look down at the cause of his problems...by staring at the chaos box. Not a real one, but the portrait's lit chaos box, delicately held by Em's proud father.   
  
"Easy there..." Em touched the chest of the chimera, finding it has hard as marble. "It's only a painting, you can't do anything about it..."  
  
"Chaos must die..." The upset chimera tugged the sheets tightly around his body. The canvas robe that once covered the front of his body was equally ripped in several places by an odd shape or two of stone. The ripped sheets fluttered again, uncovering his right torso and shoulder splattered with copious amounts of dried blood. Finally, the lower part of his right arm was missing entirely, snapped off like a dead twig just below the elbow, ending in a stubby knob of rock and flesh.  
  
Amelia couldn't bear to watch... "This is...too horrible..."  
  
Em turned to the princess of Saillune. "Where's the chaos blade? The one I brought back from last night?"  
  
The brunette barely had the strength to point over to the opposite side of the room. "Over there, on the table. Exactly where you told Gourry to drop it..." She had the look of confusion on her face. "Is there any reason I can't touch it?"  
  
The scientist raced over and picked up the blade in her hands. She was surprised to find the sword warmed to the touch. "Let's just say this thing packs a wallop to magic users. If you had held it, then I doubt you'd be standing here..."  
  
The chimera looked up at the scientist, noticing the gleam of metal in Em's hands. "So...you're going through with it..." A sudden smile crept across the chimera's face, the thoughts of everlasting peace coming to his mind...  
  
"I said I would..." Em raised the blade until it was just over the chimera's body, perpendicular to a point only an inch away from his body. She was getting ready by positioning a blow directly to the rib cage. "You're going to feel something and its not going to be pretty. You ready?"  
  
Amelia blinked for a second, alarm bells ringing off in her mind. "Em! What are you doing!" Racing over as fast as she could, she realized that the scientist was going to skewer the chimera, quite possibility killing him. "Are you crazy! Why are you killing him!"  
  
But the princess of Saillune was much too late, finally understanding that the blow...would kill him!   
  
"AAAAGHHH!"   
  
The scientist drove the sword down into Zel's midsection, forcing the blade directly clean through his body. The chimera shook like a rag doll, shaking out a horrible scream. He howled, offering no resistance to Em's dissecting strike.  
  
"No!!!" shouted Amelia. "How could you!" As it twisted, Em could hear the sickening thud of crushing bones and insides. It made her stomach turn over.  
  
Em twisted at the blade's handle, spinning it a half turn before it locked again into place.   
  
At last, the blade...the chaos...awoke. Hungry chaos consumed at Zel's body, pushing a wave of energy though his fallen frame. He thrust his chest again into the air, accepting the fate that had been given to him.   
  
He threw his body upward towards the sea of chaos, touching the feeling of his passing. There, the instance of death was almost like a picked flower...  
  
Zelgadis reached out, trying to embrace the death that he so desired. But he only caught the outer edges as it escaped though the fingers. It was never meant to be held! He had failed! It...was eluding him! It was taking...his force without killing him! No!  
  
The chaos blades feasted on the chimera's unbalanced energy. Amelia was silent as she saw the drain on Zel's body, scared to do anything else.   
  
"I'm...alive..." The chimera's rocky skin shaded more blue every second that ticked on by. Grayish rock disappeared and melted away, his body returning back to its normal self.   
  
It was if Zel's inner self was being peeled away like onion, the layers of tough skin coming off his body. He felt...a little bit of his body leave him, if only for a second. He clenched his teeth, trying to gain control of his carcass as it stiffened like a tree trunk in the wind.  
  
Em mind raced, watching the chimera's dullness fade back into his body. She could see his cheeks get more flexible, the stone's hardness fading away little by little.   
  
Amelia watched with her eyes fully dilated. Zelgadis...was glowing with the power of chaos...just like before, the flame of his soul coming undone. The chaos box had transformed him before, the chaos blades were changing him back.  
  
His body breathed again, the blood circulating around his stone-like skin. And thoughts of his human self...returned...  
  
Em cursed at the sight of the human. Too long! she told herself. She tugged at the handle of the blade, but it wouldn't budge right away. Something was... blocking...   
  
"Amelia! Help me!"   
  
The brunette raced over; new fear in her eyes even if the rest of her body told her to come. "What...can I do?"  
  
"Help me pull it out! We got to do it...before its too late!" Tightening her grip, Em took another hard thrust of the blade on her own, pulling the blade up an inch out of his body but not far enough.  
  
The princess of Saillune was right behind her, gripping the bottom of the handle just underneath the scientist's grip. With one last heave, the chaos blade slid out of the chimera's body; the two of them flying backwards so hard that they both landed on their rear ends.  
  
The blue-skinned human shook for a second, the huge gash in his chest bleeding profusely. His instinct told him to curl up like a baby, cringing at the pain from being dissected like a mad doctor's laboratory experiment.  
  
"Zel..." Both the girls rushed to his side, trying to comfort the chimera as quickly as possible. Amelia tried to apply a healing spell just as quickly, but the magic had no effect.   
  
"Wha...what's going on? Why isn't he..."  
  
"The chaos is still in his body, resisting the power of magic. You need to give his body a chance to react. After all, the chimera in him...it will grow again and heal." The two of them watched intensely as his stony skin solidified right before their eyes like a cold spell freezing water. As his blue skin froze up and faded to its blue-grayish tone, his wound patched with an ugly swatch of stone.  
  
Amelia sighed. "Wow...I didn't think that will work. She tapped his skin playfully, finding it the same to her as before the start of their grand adventure. "So...did it work? Is he cured?"  
  
Em held her head low, watching the skin of the chimera stiffen up. He was still missing one arm. And she could see the chimera curse swim like it was alive within the veins. It made her turn her head down in shame...  
  
"I...I..." She desperately wanted to tell Amelia that he would be fine. That he would live a full and normal life, even without his hand and arm... But the chaos blade had only been a temporary effect. For within a day or maybe less...   
  
"...It helped," said Em, turning away from the both of them. "But in a couple of days..."  
  
Amelia's hopeful mood crumbled seconds after the news hit her ears. Life without Zelgadis was starting to look like reality.   
  
"I'm sorry..." cried Em, walking away from the two of them. Her heart couldn't take any more damage control. She had to leave.  
  
The brunette leaned her head down against the chimera's midsection. She was surprised to find the chimera's rough body a perfect gentle cup against the side of her neck.   
  
She thought about the her journeys...and how, it might soon be over. For the first time, she thought about how her life would be without a chimera.  
  
Amelia shook, feeling the rough movement underneath her neck. She felt hands on top of her head, and then the gentle sweeping of her hair. It was her love, brushing back her locks away form the back of her neck.   
  
"You...shouldn't be here," muttered the stirring chimera.  
  
Amelia turned her head over, still leaning her body onto Zelgadis. She could face him now, but couldn't fight back the tears while looking into his eyes. "I don't care anymore..."  
  
"Stop that..."  
  
She turned her head, again to get closer to Zel's face. "I won't, Zel. I'm going to try everything I can to stop this from happening to you..."  
  
The chimera turned his back to her. "Silly girls. You should have let me die. It would have been better than this..."  
  
"What did you say..." She got up off her pillow, her expressions in her face were filled with angry undertones. "We saved your life more than once these last few weeks and all you want to do is throw it away?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
Amelia stood up, the resentment encircling her eyes. She wordlessly paused to herself before turning her back to the chimera.  
  
Zel could swear that the brunette was sniffling a little as she walked away on her own. Something in his mind commanded him to take the words back, but his body would not listen. Instead, all he could do was put his head back and look at the skylight shining through the torn-out roof.  
  
She took a couple of more steps of sorrow and turned around. "You...don't know the meaning of life, Zelgadis. And that's why you will never learn. Maybe the reason...that no one will ever love you."   
  
And she was gone.   
  
The chimera sighed. Maybe that was for the best. Baka, there's no reason to love someone who's going to die...   
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Thoth pondered what the next moves would be. So far, hiding on the little ship of Em's father seemed like the best idea yet. He had taken the rowboat from their previous travels and purposely sunk it into the deeper water just outside the little entrance of the cavern.  
  
Biru yawned especially loud, his mouth quite wide. "So...tired..."  
  
Thoth took the piece of fruit and stuck it in his mouth. "Be quiet! We're supposed to be hiding down here."   
  
"From who?"   
  
"Turnip's former slaves." The old man was almost going to have a heart attack. He didn't want to repeat the story of what had happened last night, so he told the fool the short version. "Turnip's dead. The chimera and his friends killed him."  
  
"Oh really?" Biru got his back off the deck of the ship, finally stirring around to a sitting position. "What about the zombies? Are they dead too?"  
  
Thoth cringed, recalling the fairy tale he had relayed to the mad cook last night. "No, they're still up there. The others are keeping alive by trading their time for the brain's of Turnip's slaves. It's really a gruesome sight up there. Lots of blood..."  
  
Biru's face turned ashen, "Blood? You mean dead bodies..."  
  
"Yea. Bodies stacked up like logs with their head hollowed out like an orange rind. Oh, and the little piles of gore-"   
  
The innkeeper was completely done in. "OK! That's enough of that!" He leaned over the railing of the little ship, knowing he was going to be sick.   
  
"Shhh..."   
  
"Is that why we're hiding out on this 'ship' instead of the rowboat?" echoed Biru's strained voice. "Uuugh...'  
  
Thoth groaned. In his mind, he only had a day or two at best. If he didn't get a hold of the chaos blade, then getting in time to the City of the Clouds would be impossible. "Stay here. I'm going back topside."  
  
He heard Biru keel over the railing, answering back with a couple of painful moans. So much for feeling better.  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Em circled around her home, looking around for the clues to her former life. It was really sad. Once priceless paintings hung from the wall, now torn and blackened from the rain and moisture. Most of the house had been ransacked of its valuable possessions, with a few of the larger items like sofas and chairs still remaining because they were too difficult to steal.  
  
She looked up to the left at the wide set of stairs that climbed up to the upper floor. She walked up a couple of steps before realizing the footing was about to give way. Skipping as lightly as she could, Em managed to get up to the balcony level before the entire staircase collapsed.   
  
Sighing, the redhead looked around some more. The open-aired roof had let in the elements, turning the once plush carpet into a pile of covered mush topped with green luscious moss. Vines and other greenery lined the walls as they encircled small pictures and windows. A few of the hanging vines had even flowered as she could hear the chirping of birds as they fluttered around. Compared to downstairs, the upstairs areas as a bustle of activity. The sun's rays had given life to where it had once been, and indeed, it had become quite beautiful.   
  
Em looked at everything as she continued down the open-aired hallway. The scientist ducked for a second as a bird swooped down and back up to the rafters. She smiled back at the wildlife, determined to keep going.   
  
And she saw the tower thought the open roof. It was stained black from all the flaming lightning strikes. Something of a memory moved within the back of her mind. And she knew, she had to go there because something was drawing her closer.  
  
Em ran down the hallways, looking up at the tower as she got closer to its base. The corridor finally led to a stone antechamber within the tower itself, to a winding stone staircase that ascended up to its top level. She didn't stop for one second, racing up the stairs as she carefully stepped on slippery moss-covered steps. Her heart beat faster at the feel...of destiny was upon her.  
  
Something very special was waiting for her...waiting a long, long, time.  
  
She came to a heavyset wooden door, its moisture-soaked paneling showing of age. In the center of the door was an engraving. She had half expected to find the inlet of a cloud but was amazed that it was something...else.   
  
With both of her hands, the scientist brushed away moss and time, exposing the secrets of her past memories. Her father had done many things in his time, many that she didn't truly know about. She took a step backwards to see what she had uncovered... A tip, no...It was a spear... Then an answer shouted in mind, as she knew what it was.  
  
A bolt of lightning.  
  
The redhead rushed forward, the door swinging open for her...   
  
Em was surprised how clean the inner chamber was to the rest of her former. Besides the vinery crawling in from the tower windows, the place looked like it had been recently swept clean. The circular room was totally bare, save for a small trunk to the far side of the door. Another engraving of a bolt of lightning decorated the wooden cover the trunk, this time embellished in brilliant silver.   
  
She reached instinctive for the lid, giving it a tug. It at first refused to budge, but after a second effort it swung open as if expecting to be opened after a try.   
  
The wooden trunk gave off an immediate stench of rotting age, causing Em to turn away. Looking back, her eyes caught the gleam of a delicate silver tiara, finely decorated with freshwater pearls. It was well worn, with a couple of spots that once held pearls now missing their natural jewels. Still, it was quite stunning.   
  
Leaning next to the ornate tiara was a simple silver bracelet, lined heavily with the same matching freshwater pearls. Em picked it up and was surprised how warm the bracelet was in her hands, like it was...calling her. She looked at in the light if only for a second, before slipping it on her right arm. It felt perfect as it naturally tightened around her wrist.  
  
Is that all, she thought, as she began to close the trunk's lid. But a small warming sensation in her wrist had her look down one last time..   
  
She spotted a scroll attached to the top lid of the trunk. Swearing that it wasn't there before, the new addition seemed to fall right into her hands as if waiting for Em. She tugged open the scroll and started reading it...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dearest Em,   
  
For a long time, I had wanted to tell you this story of your past. It was never the right time, especially with my work... But I thought it was necessary to keep it a secret. I did it for you, my child...  
  
I am a proud man who wanted so much for my life. I worked hard, starting as a simple laborer when I was younger. Later, I was able to take a position here as the head servant to a merchant husband and wife. This place was their home, their retirement away from the land where they lost all their children to a tragic fire.   
  
As time and years moved on, I became the grown son they never had. They eventually passed on to a happier place, leaving me their modest fortune. And I became a merchant as well, quite skilled in the art of trade, and wealthy. And I was content, but like my former employers not complete...  
  
And all that changed on one special day. From out of nowhere a strange ship came down from the highest reaches in the sky, crashing on the very beach that overlooks this castle. My intelligent mind could see that the ship had indeed been designed to fly -- made to ride the high winds in the sky. There was no doubt...that it had been flying in the air just minutes before, its very secrets unknown to me nor anyone else.  
  
I searched the wreckage for survivors, moving wood and timber alike with my bare hands. I was amazed. After uncovering a heavy roof, I found a beautiful redheaded young woman, her locks of hair spilled across the rocks by the sea. She was unconscious, a small bruise on the forehead the only sign of injury. And within her delicate arms, safely tucked across her chest, she cradled...you.  
  
  
  
Your mother...she never did stir and wake up from her slumber. Her body...just shut down like it had been turned off. She didn't make it. I tried to the best of my wisdom, to revive her, but I could not. No doubt, the way that she held you safely in her arms...no doubt that her sacrifice had saved your life.   
  
Yes, this is the first time, Em, that I'd ever told you... that I'm not your natural father.   
  
You were as normal as could be, a healthy baby girl full of life. The resemblance of your deceased mother to you as you grew up before my eyes...was uncanny.  
  
That first night, however, when I was changing your diaper, I found something else. Something that you should have, so you don't just know some of the truth, but all of it. Something...that I decided share with you one day.   
  
And if you're reading this, then please know...that you are my daughter. You are and always shall be my life, and the reason for my inspiration.   
  
The reason...for the chaos boxes. The chaos blade. And the bracelet and the tiara your mother wore.   
  
No matter what, the truth shall always be behind.  
  
- Dad   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Em could barely hold onto the scroll as she tugged at her father's writings. It was an old scroll yellowed by time, the writings at least a decade or two old. Yet, their meanings were the freshest things in her mind. Perhaps as recent as a year ago, she might have requested it as pure speculation, but now...  
  
Her father had always told her that the truth was the revealing secret. Now it was behind her. How could truth be secret behind...   
  
Truth.. Behind.   
  
She flicked at the corner of the scroll, making it bend in ever so slightly. Like a blooming flower, the layers of the paper slowly opened up. Like the thin sheets of a pastry, this scroll's paper felt...layered with history, all by it being in her hands.  
  
Turning the scroll over, Em saw the other side was even more browned than the front. If her father's writing looked old, then the back of this scroll looked incredibly ancient. Being ever so careful, Em carefully picked on the corner. She managed to peel back a layer of the scrolled paper, uncovering a second set of writing on the inside of the backing. Sure enough, a second message was hidden behind the first, a hidden truth for her.   
  
Her eyes could no longer hold back the tears as she read the words attached to her past. As she interpreted every morsel, the color from her face drained, her expressions a mix with anticipation, fright, and pain. And as she finally read the last line, Em threw the paper sheet aside in sadness...realizing that everything she knew was a lie...  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
"Give me a hand here?" Tiny had both of his hands under a large table, ready to lift it up.  
  
"Coming!" The cheery brunette maneuvered into a helpful position, but her strength was no match for giant bench. "It's a little big for me..." moaned Amelia. "I think we need some help."   
  
"I'm here!" Gourry much obliged, grabbing the same end of the table next to the brunette. With a little signal, the men tossed up the bench until it wobbled into place.  
  
"Thanks a bunch," mentioned Tiny as he wiped away the dirt from the corners of the bench. "We're going to get this place cleaned up real quick."  
  
Amelia scratched her head. "You're not leaving to go back to Monte Darlo?"   
  
"No way. Some of us criminals would rather not return at all. Since we have no other place to go, we thought about staying here for just a little while."  
  
"Well, someone should try to figure out what this ship is for," The chimera still had his cloak wrapping on, but looked no less for wear as he stumbled forward. He used a simple wooden staff as a temporary balancing tool, his body still looking rather weak from Em's earlier 'surgery.'  
  
"You shouldn't be walking around right now!" Amelia could see his human self had somewhat returned, but the huge patch of rock was growing across his open chest like a second scab. It looked like an infected wound, trying to re-heal itself unsuccessfully.   
  
She instinctively ran over to the side of chimera, supporting him as best as she could. She was surprised when he pushed her off with a turn of his body.  
  
"I'm fine." The chimera was harsh with his words, preferring to keep his words as brief as possible. "Please, forget about earlier," he grumbled, finally sitting down on a nearby bench.   
  
Amelia's soured face threatened to break down into a full-borne cry. "But...Zel..."  
  
"I said--"  
  
The brunette sulked. A whole lot. "Well, fine. I've got...some laundry to do." Before the chimera could catch her by the arm, she had already turned her back towards them.  
  
The blond swordsman coughed as he busily wiped his hands clean on a rag of clothing. "We're almost finished cleaning up. And then...we're finally done."  
  
"All right!" shouted Tiny, raising his hands in a sign of encouragement.  
  
The chimera was unmoved by the showing. "Well, its about time..." Amelia refused to look at his squarely in the eyes. Knowing his manners, he spotted Em out by the edge of the beach, throwing rocks into the sea. Takes one to know one...  
  
"Excuse me. I need to talk to someone."  
  
"Zel..." whispered Amelia looking back around. "I tried..."   
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Em was keeping herself isolated from the rest of them, her posture a clear sign that she wanted to be left alone. She thought that keeping her back to the rest of them while throwing rocks into the sea would help ease her mind. It wasn't helping, however -- she'd needed advanced help. Hopefully--  
  
"So, how many skips?"  
  
The chimera saw the scientist twitch a little on hearing his words. But instinct told him that both of them needed each other at the moment as he leaned up next to tree depressing himself.   
  
The scientist looked over at Zelgadis, rather dumbfounded. "Excuse me?"  
  
"I said, how many skips have you managed to get on your best throw?"  
  
"Ahhh. I think two. I wasn't exactly keeping track-"  
  
"Try using your elbow," suggested the chimera. "You need to put a little more spin on your throws."  
  
Em took a large step backwards for her windup, unleashing a furious throw that sent the stone scampering a half dozen times across the smooth waters. "I see..."   
  
Screw the small talk, thought Em, as she turned around to the chimera. "Remember when everything you knew was a perfect world? When you knew who you are...and who you're going to be?"  
  
He took a step back, startled by the new line of questioning. "Now wait just a minute--I was the one who came over here--"  
  
"Damn it Zel, I'm not the fool like Amelia. If you think for one second I'm going to spend an hour talking about tossing stones into the ocean--"  
  
The chimera was amazed at Em's forwardness. "Well, excuse me, but I'm being added to the world's largest rock garden in a couple of days. You have to have some idea what I'm doing next week."   
  
Em wasn't finished, however. "Oh yeah? Well, at least you have friends. I lost everything that is dear to me. Not once, but twice. I don't know if I can handle your moody times, plus all these strangers, let alone any more of this Cloudminders business."  
  
Zel cringed, hearing the scientist's words.   
  
"Actually, I can't handle it anymore. I'm sick and tired of it! I could care less about their stupid secrets-"  
  
"You...can't possibility mean that!"  
  
"Yes, I do! I wish I had never met Amelia, Gourry, nor your stupid, problems. I...don't care anymore!" With a hiss, she turned and stood away from the dumbfounded chimera.  
  
Zelgadis didn't know what do say. He looked down at his stone hand, trying to come up with an explanation.   
  
He thought about his own life. Long ago, he had once been a foolish, young boy. He never did want to become a chimera. Did he ask to become a monster slave to Rezo and his ways?   
  
Yet, he felt his crime...had been paid. This body...was never his choosing. He never chose this destiny. And now, instead of a chimera, he was turning into a statue.  
  
He watched Em look into the setting sun against the ocean, and realized that she as well was being forced into the game. Pawns... he thought. We're nothing but someone else's playing pieces, moved and played without a whim of resistance.   
  
He who had never cared for someone...suddenly cared for more than himself.   
  
"I know...what you're feeling." He walked slowly up to Em, her sniffling barely evident at the moment. Placing his rough hand on her shoulder, all he could do was share his pain.   
  
She didn't push it away.  
  
"Do you remember saying how you were going to save me? How if you did that, then nothing else would matter."  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"A story goes...both ways, you know..."  
  
The redhead turned around, facing the chimera and the truth at the same time. "You knew all along." She rested her hand on the chimera's chest, her way of replying with a sign of respect.  
  
"Maybe," nodded Zelgadis, before turning his head lower. "I just needed someone to show me..." He looked at Em and at her smiling face, her curls of hair blowing in the wind.   
  
His throat tightened as he tried to swallow his own words. He was in a fog, staring at Em's jeweled glowing bracelet as it glowed like an ember of fire on her wrist...  
  
...bracelet? What the Cepheid?!   
  
The chimera pointed to the glowing row of pearls, to the centered pattern that ran down the length of the exquisite bracelet. "What...is that thing doing?!"  
  
"Aaagh!" She turned her arm over, looking at the underside of the wrist.   
  
"Aaagh?"  
  
She shook her wrist. "This isn't supposed to happening so soon!"  
  
"What the?" blinded the chimera as a ray of light blinded him for just a second.  
  
Em was flabbergasted as she poured out information "It's my...detector! Something's affecting it!"  
  
Zelgadis looked dumbfounded. "Wha?"  
  
Sure enough, as if cued for an entrance, a column of billowing smoke formed right behind them. Their darkness could only signify the Mazoku. So thick was the barrier that it cut the two of them off from Gourry, Amelia, and the rest of the crew.   
  
"They have no sense of timing-"  
  
"Hardly ever," bluntly grizzled the chimera, drawing his sword with his good hand. He half expected Xellos to pop in and out with one of his antidotes -- thusly the reason that a one handed weapon was better than none. "Let's see what they're made of, shall we?"  
  
Em blinked, taking a couple of steps back, unsure on what to expect. "You know, they're not idiots." She reached around her back, pulling out the chaos blade, which had been comfortably tucked in a ready-made sleeve.   
  
The smoke faded away, uncovering a dozen faceless winged Mazoku-like creatures. They reminded Zelgadis of giant stingrays. They flew instead of swimming, their color entirely black as coal save for their beady red eyes.  
  
"Come and get it!" Em pointed her sword at the approaching line of Mazoku, the blade just starting to ignite its powers of chaos. The foolish creatures refused to be intimidated as they flew in for a closer look.   
  
"Why would they even think about attacking us when I have the chaos blade?" said Em, protecting themselves from the low-level creatures.  
  
"A waste of time," finished the chimera. "Unless-"  
  
They both looked at each other, bleeping out the answer at the same time. "Someone wants to destroy the airship!"  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
"Help!"   
  
Amelia fluttered her arms helplessly like a grounded bird, all while running away from the hideous black stingrays. One by itself didn't seem all that threatening, but the stingrays had already started to conglomerate together. A pack of four of them conveniently gathered together for a mass attack against the brunette, thinking their sheer numbers odds would scare more than anything.   
  
"Iyeeya!" charged Gourry, slicing behind Amelia with his attacking charge. The weak stingrays fell apart like dominoes out of the sky, three disintegrating from a sword slash by Gourry's frightful charge. The other one was so dumb that it circled around and nose-dived into the ground next to the swordsman, splattering into a puddle of goo. Gourry immediately slid on the leftover carcass of the creature, head first into some bushes.  
  
Amelia blinked. "Well, that was easy..." She looked over at the blond swordsman, his head stuck in a bush. He poked his head back out, bringing some nature up. Because wrapped perfectly around his head was a bushel of twigs, a nest, and a family of birds, which only made the princess laugh out loud.   
  
"Hey! Watch out!" pointed Tiny, running towards Amelia as fast as he could. Another creature of the dark, a small one, had snuck up on the princess, attacking her backside. "I see it!   
  
The brunette turned around, ready for the worst -- and the creature was gone. "Wha...Where...is it?"  
  
Tiny stopped right next to the brunette and frowned. "Wait...stay still for a sec."   
  
Amelia didn't understand Tiny's directions as his giant hand pushed past her left ear. She heard a squeal as Tiny dislodged the baby stingray from her tussle of hair. "Awwwee... it's a little baby Mazoku. Isn't it kawaii?"  
  
"Yea, sure..." answered Gourry.  
  
Tiny took the creature and threw it like a rag doll to the ground, followed by some heavyset stomping.  
  
"Waaaaiii! You didn't have to flatten the baby!"   
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Joe nodded as he levitated past a couple of Turnip's former security guards. He had easily slain the poor fellow with a swipe of his quarterstaff. Easy work.   
  
"Nice..." he commented, blowing the front doors open. His shadows had easily kept everyone else at bay at the moment -- buying him precious time to search the inner workings of his former apprentice's airship.  
  
"Now...where is it?" he mumbled, carefully entering into the hallway of the airship's lower decks. His short body was easily about to check the floor for clues and hidden doorways. Not that he thought that the trinkets would be sticking out with a 'please steal me' sign; it wasn't like Turnip was that naïve.   
  
Still, he peeked his head into unfinished rooms, finding them surprisingly bare of anything including necessary supplies. "Nothing of value stuck on this piece of grounded flotsam. No pearl items that the master talked about." He grazed his eyes everywhere, surprised the rooms were so threadbare. "How is anyone expected to hide anything here?"  
  
"You're not looking in the right place," whispered a hidden voice behind the Mazoku. The old man leaned his body carefully on an edge of a corner wall, careful to stay away from Joe's view. In his hand, the miniature chaos box glowed with the softness of a firefly; positioned against the old man's hip like a loaded weapon.   
  
"What is Turnip's little playmate up to?" Thoth garbled, trying to also figure out where he had seen the Mazoku before. A little realization came as he turned back around, recognizing the shadowy figure from before. "Monte Darlo...he's been watching Turnip for awhile."   
  
Joe continued to look around the airship's pantries, poking and overturning anything around that was not nailed down. He walked into the pantry, the first stocked area he had seen in the airship. A set of increasingly sized metallic canisters made themselves at home on a counter. Food for the baka Mazoku, he thought, before taking a closer look. Even though his kind didn't need human stuffs, when they did dine on food it was always of darkly absurd ingredients: eye of serpent, dried monkey's rib, fermented fish livers. When reading the labels, however, Joe was astounded to read off several different types of sugars and candies.   
  
Using his quarterstaff, the diminutive Mazoku shoved the canisters off the counters until they clanged open, scattering sweets randomly across the floor. He stepped forward, mashing the cadies with his weight into a powder. Damn Turnip, cursed the Mazoku, and his human weaknesses...  
  
Joe heard the pitter-patter of feet above his head. "Ahhh...I have you," he said, instantly transporting up a level to the top deck of the ship. Unlike the other airship he had seen designed by the scientist and the redheaded daughter, this one was threatening. Using his connections, Turnip had imported the powder guns from the western lands. He mounted the unholy beasts in every possible position, from bow to stern. He looked above the desk and knew there was no balloon meant to fly over their heads, for this was purely a craft meant to run on the power of the Cloudminders.  
  
Something in the corner of his eye caught the Mazoku's attention. The motion of movement on the ground, just past the port side of the craft. He moved like lightning across the flat deck.   
  
Joe looked over the railing, trying to spot what had splashed into the calm ocean -- and felt something sharp embed itself into his back. It exploded into a kaleidoscope of colors, throwing him forward. Nothing could stop his forward motion, his whole body tensing up like an icicle. He fell forward like a sack of potatoes, off the stern of the airship, splattering his body on the rocky shore below, cursing because of his arrogance.  
  
From behind one of the gunpowder cannons, Thoth leaned bent-ass forward in an exhausted pose. He winced a little grin of accomplishment followed by pain; his body not used to playing hide-in-seek with a Mazoku. Still, the advantage lay in his hands, the small chaos box smoldering chaos energy...   
  
"Yes..." he said, as if speaking to his chaos box with his real voice. "Bastard..."  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Em slashed the chaos blade at a small grouping of the flying stingrays, their scream for existence haunting as they faded away like shadows. They had grown from a nuisance quickly into a chore, their numbers increasing by every minute.  
  
She looked over at Zel, who had taken the other way around the grounded airship. He was having trouble of his own, the stingrays so outnumbering the chimera that he could no longer slash them down fast enough. She gasped as one of the creatures smacked into his stony body -- only to watch the dark creature bounce off and fall onto the ground quite defeated.  
  
She sighed, realizing that the stingrays were gathering into even larger formations. Three or four was tough already, but a mass of twenty or thirty might be impossible to defeat. Em didn't waste time as she adjusted the hilt on the sword, turning the sleeve a quarter clockwise.  
  
Her bracelet started to glow, along with the chaos blade in her hand. So...they are in tune...   
  
The connection is there. She was right.  
  
Everything that her father had shown her before... was all half-based truths built on lies. Finding secrets within her past had left mind unsettled-- now it was tempered with the desire to fulfill... what it had told her...  
  
She didn't have time ponder on her discovery...  
  
Em swung the chaos blade forward, its glowing presence arching out like an invisible soap bubble. The flying serpents didn't have a chance, their bodies falling out of the sky like popped balloons. A wave of invisible power continued to flow outward, dropping dozens of flying stingrays out of the darkening sky.  
  
"Nice trick," commented Zel from behind. "Got a dragon slave in there as well?"  
  
"I swear, I'm good for it."  
  
Her senses told her to charge around the perimeter of the airship as a few more of the stingrays came down on her backside, coming unexpectedly from out of the sky. With a turn of the chaos blade, they stopped their flying right in their tracks, falling to the ground like liquid tar.   
  
Em left the chimera as she ran along to the rocky shoal of the ocean, spotting little out of the ordinary. "Where...is it..." she said to herself, starting the circle her position with the chaos blade in her hands...  
  
She stopped halfway turned, the point of her blade pointed towards a tar stain heavily strayed against the rocks. She wouldn't of noticed the aberration except for glowing indications from her bracelet, alerting her again of danger, of energy that even she couldn't keep hidden.   
  
Em raised her wrist towards the tar, holding the blade of chaos a mere inch away from the stained rocks. Strangely enough, a set of eyes popped out from the blackness, quickly blinking at her.  
  
"Come on out, traitorous Mazoku," said the scientist, threatening the mass with her stern voice. "Even you can't resist it..."  
  
She waited as the tar melted off the rocks, reforming on the ground into a waxy ball. The way it flowed was just enough to make her skin goosebump. It tightened upon itself and exploded upwards into the diminutive shape of a familiar cloaked Mazoku, the one that Em had seen before.   
  
"I know you..." said the scientist. She moved the chaos blade until it lay against the base of the Mazoku's skull, next to his head like a guillotine.   
  
The darkened creature didn't move, preferring to let the scientist take the next step.   
  
"You're Turnip's master, aren't you?" she asked, letting the blade rest on Joe's shoulder. It sharpness gently slid into the Mazoku's flesh, causing his body to steam off a bleed of chaotic energy.   
  
Unlike Turnip, this Mazoku didn't let the cut bother him. What had caught the Mazoku's eyes, however, was the glowing ring of pearls around Em's wrist. Identify the holder, his own master had said...and here she was...  
  
Em pleaded her case, interrogating the uncooperative Mazoku. "So...you used him like everyone else. His ego, his manipulation, his drive... Turnip said he was using the Mazoku...but now I see the shoe is on the other foot."  
  
Joe finally spoke, hoping his words would loosen the scientist's grasp of the sword on his neck. "The baka wanted to directly attack the Cloudminders. We let his little mission go on fruitlessly, for an indirect approach is the way with us."   
  
The scientist noticed a surge in power as Joe's words delightfully ran off his tongue like the finest wine of the land. "That still doesn't explain your reasons..."  
  
The Mazoku nodded as best as he could. "Oh? Killing him? No, I'm afraid that's your work. We just left him by the curbside, without a protection in the world. You can't possibility think that we would ever want a human among our kind. The thought disgusts me."  
  
Em continued Joe's words with the harshness of a Mazoku. "So...you took him in and disposed of him just as quickly. Then...why?"  
  
The diminutive one nodded. "Very good. Now...keep going..."  
  
Em slid the chaos blade another inch, embedding the blade squarely into the Mazoku's neck. The result was an instantaneous combustion of chaotic energy. There was a sudden wind-swept force of energy escaping, circling and spewing out of Joe's neck like an open water spigot.  
  
Indeed, the smell of death was in the air.   
  
Em removed it just a quickly, opening a gaping wound of skin that seemed to flap like a flag. "Tell me!"  
  
The Mazoku could not easily hold its concentration while it clamped both of his hand instinctively around the wound. His body shivered darkening lines energy as it tried to keeps its very identity intact.   
  
Em moved the flat of the sword on the opposite shoulder of the Mazoku, threatening to slice diagonally across its body in one more swoop of defiance. "Nothing you've told me explains why you used my father's assistant as a guinea pig, even if he was a disgusting fool."  
  
"Ahhh...but think about it. His claim was that he the only person that even knew a little about your father's secrets. Never about your father, it was always...about the secrets..."   
  
Em was floored. "What did you say?"  
  
The Mazoku stammered back an answer just as fast. "Come on. Do you think he was about the crack to secrets of the Cloudminders so easily?"  
  
Joe saw his words were chilling to Em's ears. He noticed her eyes roll back and gaze into space, the truth haunting her mind. He knew the shadow of doubt was creeping into the back of her mind, for it was only a matter of time. So he pressed on....  
  
"Your father bamboozled you the whole time. He was lucky enough to discover the secret of the chaos boxes. To this day we wondered how."  
  
I did that! screamed Em in her mind. All of his findings were duo...to her intuition. The letter...from her father, spoke of lies that he hid, because he knew the truth was too hard to bear. No wonder her father had never told her about her past, for she would have linked his success to her Mother's secrets.   
  
Joe could see the scientist's hands loosen on the handle of the chaos blade. Indeed, the spoken truth was enough to push mere humans into distraught. "Remember, little one. He was a fake. A pawn as well. We didn't know...the first time..."  
  
Lies upon lies, thought the scientist. They didn't just add to the list of transgressions, but they acted like a wildfire out of control.   
  
The Mazoku paused, drawing himself closer to the scientist. "It was never him...." With a motion that even Em could not explain, Joe reached down and held her by the very wrist of her glowing wrist. "But now that we know, we will never let any of you survive!"  
  
Em's eyes grew wide. "...No..."   
  
The Mazoku let his rising emotions fuel is own energies. At last, he let his true powers grow and erupt like a sleeping volcano, throwing the standing redhead backwards several steps in a wave of energy.   
  
"No!"   
  
Em remembered like the times before. Her father, his life, his existence flashing before her very eyes. She had lost everything once in her lifetime, only to start from scratch and rebuild the happiness. Her father's plans for an airship. Chaos stones bargained for over blood and sweat. And then her crew, her new...family.   
  
Only to lose it again.  
  
Her mind blazed with determination, swearing that she would never allow it to happen a third time. Here she was with her new friends. Gourry. Zelgadis. And...even Amelia. She cursed, already knowing that she cared deeply for them...   
  
"You will not!..."  
  
She refused to obey. She had played the helpless role before -- in look and in feeling to anyone that met her casually. Normal by any stretch of the imagination, she appeared average in every way.   
  
Yet...she commanded the power. Never would anyone think that she held the highest power of chaos within her hands. She knew of its capabilities and its travesties. And most of all, she knew of its truths, and therefore its very secret...  
  
"...Take our lives..."  
  
The chaos blade shone like it had never shine before. It obeyed, all due to Em, her commandments, and her energies.   
  
"...For granted!"  
  
Em thrust the ignited chaos blade forward with all of her strength. She charged so quickly that the weapon seemed to move faster than light itself. So forward was the scientist that when her charge finally stopped, she was surprised how far she had penetrated behind Mazoku. She blinked, her blade lodged into the rock.   
  
At first, Em thought she had totally missed the target. But a second later there was mighty howl of protest from all around her. She spotted the outline of the Mazoku, his form fading against the rocks. She could immediately spot the injured shoulder and neck from before, still steaming with the slight reflection of chaos. But the other wound...where was it?   
  
And then, as she watched the Mazoku turn his head ever so slightly as it appeared as if a triangle slice had been neatly chopped off the frontal lobe. Another inch or two, and the blade strike would had been critical...  
  
The scientist gasp, positioning her blade for a second strike. "Got you..."  
  
Joe's shadow was fading fast as he tried to draw the rest of himself back into the astral plane. "Not quite..." The intruder faded away, leaving no clues to his existence save for his laughing voice. "You do not have me yet...not by any stretch of the imagination..."  
  
And he was gone.  
  
"Damn..."  
  
The scientist scanned around in every direction, trying to track down why her Mazoku friend had left so quickly. It was when she looked out onto the crashing sea that her gut reaction told her why.   
  
Still miles and miles away from land, a strange low-lying cloud hugged close to the ocean's surface, its lack of reflection was as dark as night. The mass of blackness was too large, too short, and growing much too quickly to be a form of precipitation. For all along the ocean's horizon, what was once a black line of haze was starting to crest into a wave. And it was converging onto one point -- to exactly where she was standing.  
  
"Get up here!" yelled the hysterical chimera from the top of the ridge. He waved frantically with a flair that Em had rarely seen from the stoic Zelgadis. "We've got the get out of here!"  
  
Em dashed up the rocks, jumping the last bit. She nearly pawned over the chimera, quite out of breath. He had already taken out his telescoping lens, adjusting its sights towards the black clouds.   
  
"Company?"  
  
Zel passed off the lens, urging the scientist to take a look.   
  
Her heart stopped on sight. "Oh...damn! How many are there..."  
  
"All of them," retorted Zelgadis. "We've got ten minutes, tops. The first wave of them was a walk in the woods."  
  
She turned back towards the chimera, startled by all the developments. "Its Turnip's master, the Mazoku we saw with him yesterday."  
  
Zelgadis clenched his sword tighter. "Where is he? What did he want with you?"  
  
Em stopped. No...there was some things that she could not explain at the moment. If...she told Zelgadis or any of the others of her discovery, the consequences would be severe. For the short term...there had to be a way out of this mess.  
  
If the Mazoku attacked from another front, she wasn't sure if she could stop them. The next time, her peninsula home would be swarming with so many flying stingrays that they'd surely threaten to block out the sun and the rest of the sky...   
  
"Em?"  
  
The scientist ignored the chimera, trying to feel her passion. It was as if something...was trying to speak to her. She felt her wrist warm against her skin, signaling its sanity to the redhead. Power unspoken, something for her to control. It told her mind a truth....that suddenly made everything seem understood. A saying, a play on words. She knew it when only a child, when once leaning against her mother's chest. Words that had a meaning to unlocking the very secrets to her existence...  
  
"Em!" repeated the chimera, "is something wrong?"  
  
She needed...to save them. An answered presented itself, a painful course where no other path seemed possible. If she told the chimera its very secret, he might never forgive her...   
  
So she lied.  
  
"The Mazoku are massing for an attack. The stingrays are just a diversion." She swallowed her breath, hoping for believability. "Turnip's master...Joe. He has a chaos box."  
  
Zel's eyes widened. "How..."  
  
"I...just know. He tipped it off to me, but I don't think he knows that I'm aware of his slip of the tongue." She paused, seeing the chimera was buying her story lock, stock and barrel. "But...it's huge. At least six feet high."  
  
The chimera stirred quite nervously. Even if one of those things could help him, one that size seemed too tall an order. "If that thing detonates when we're still on the island..." Too painful were his words that he gulped before continuing. "So...what are we going to do? We've got to get out of the way of that thing."  
  
Em started her run, the chimera close behind her. "There is...a way."   
  
She stopped and reached out with her hand, waiting for the chimera to catch up. Zelgadis stopped, looked at Em's face, taking up her kind invitation. "Come on! Let's go!"  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Thoth gingerly avoided a couple of the flying creatures by taking the side route around the edge of the island. He stepped off to the side into a puddle of black tar, pooh-poohing at the surprise mess. He cursed as he wiped away the ugly tar from his ragtag shoes. Most probably the remnants of one of the latest creatures.   
  
Oh, how he so wished to be back at Turnip's casino, getting handout of free food. Even sleeping in the hallways on the warm plush carpets was heavenly when compared to road travel. Or a time before, overlooking the view of the world high in the clouds. Anything better than this--  
  
Finished with his cleaning job as well as trying to keep out of sight was by no means an easy tasks. He took his time and once again surveyed in every direction. This time, he stared out into the ocean, scratching his jaw at the sight.  
  
More like anyone could have imagined..   
  
The old man ran, tripping and falling along the way of the path. He finally was close enough to the mouth of the cave, that when he finally did trip, he slid down the descent and onto the pier where he had left Biru a little earlier.  
  
The dock was empty.  
  
Where is that crazy fool now, thought Thoth. What he couldn't do was find the baka--  
  
And from the ceiling, a heavy tarp fell on him. Darkness.  
  
"I caught a crazy brain-eating zombie!" Biru was yelling like he had received the greatest reward of all time. He took up a plank and pounded the covered lump a couple of times. "Die! Die! Die!"  
  
Thoth loudly moaned, more from the shock treatment than from the beating. "...Get this thing off of me!"   
  
"Oh, don't think I can't come up for a recipe for the flesh of a zombie. No matter what it is, if you stew anything for 48 hours, it drains the poison out." He whapped the covered lump again for good measure. "Oh, Thoth? Is that you...I have dinner ready!"  
  
"Biru! What do you think you're doing!" The old man was having quite a bit of trouble removing the tarp from over his head. "I want out of here!"  
  
"Ahhh! My master's voice! His brain has been sucked whole by this zombie beast!" Biru took his butcher's knife out, sharpening it with a small file in his hands. Whatever intimidation he had before was suddenly gone, only to be replaced by his bout of madness. "Don't worry old man, I'll give you a quick burial-"  
  
"Cut that out!" Thoth finally managed to uncover his head from underneath the tarps, throwing them furiously aside. "I'm a human!"  
  
"Oh...damn..."   
  
"Why, I outta..." cursed Thoth. But he quickly cut off his anger as a stampede of feet rattled from the ground above their heads. No doubt, a group of people were running down towards the mouth of the cave.   
  
"Quick! It's the zombie's revenge!" said Thoth as he prodded the innkeeper onto the small ship. Each time that he saw the craft, it seemed smaller and smaller. He highly doubted that its width was more than 10 feet wide, even if its length was a long 30 feet or more.   
  
"Hey...where are we going?' Biru was quite alarmed from Thoth's earlier descriptions. For a lazy, bald man, he moved quite swiftly over the railing of the watercraft.  
  
The old man blinked. Wow, he can really move...  
  
The two of them immediately ran for the door to the lower decks of the personal craft. One couldn't really call it a full lower deck -- more like a crawl space than anything. Still, it was a place to hide, but it was locked shut.  
  
"Well I-know-it-all, where to now?"  
  
Thoth cursed, moving with his body along the edge walkway to the bow of the ship. Luck was with him as he spotted a small open hatch towards the bow of the ship. "Up there," he said, waving his traveling companion on. "Quick!"   
  
"You sure this is safe?" asked the innkeeper.  
  
Thoth got to the squarish hatch, loosened a bolt and swung the top open. The path down was surprisingly circular and rather tight.   
  
"Are you nuts? I can't squeeze down there!"  
  
The old man looked over Biru's shoulder for a second. "Here come the zombies!"  
  
Biru muttered something rather unintelligent as he swung his legs over the edge of the ledge. "Well, here goes nothing..." He dropped like a brick but only until he was stick fast by his waist. "Hey! Why am I not falling?" He waved his arms around like a fish out of water. "Help!"  
  
  
  
Thoth smeared his hand against the side of his face in frustration. "Hold still...I'm going to push you down. Like...THIS!" The old man took his foot and stepped on the top of Biru's head. The result was not exactly how the old man had planned it, dropping Biru's plump body like a bowling ball.  
  
"Ow!"   
  
*thunk* *CRASH!*  
  
Thoth stuck his head down thought the hatch, not to see if his companion was all right, but to see what he had broken. Sure enough, Biru was red-faced, holding onto the pieces of a something delicate. The fine inlay on its squarish surface could only mean one thing. A chaos box.  
  
The old man maneuvered his way thought the hatch and down into the lower deck of the craft. "How did you do that?" he exclaimed, looking that the broken pieces. A downward look of the head, had Thoth seeing Biru's chef's knife laying on its side, neatly embedded in the wooden floor. "Oh."  
  
"Oops... Can it patch it up later?" the innkeeper moaned, trying at the side time to piece the sides of the chaos box together. "Thoth? Why is your face red?"   
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
The darkness was coming, quicker than any of them imagined. Soon, an incalculable amount of stingrays would converge on their position, swarming upon the humans and the chimera like a giant tsunami.  
  
Em and Zelgadis nearly collided on their way to the dock with Amelia and Gourry. Everyone knew what going on, it didn't take very long to convince the other two of them that escape was probably a good idea.   
  
"A chaos box! No way!" screamed Amelia upon hearing Em's white lie. "If we don't get out of here and safely away with Zel-"  
  
"Yea, I know," interrupted the scientist. "But our only chance is to use my father's ship." At the same time she said the words, her eyes focused on the drawn chaos blade in her hand. "Let's just hope its still running-"  
  
"And if it isn't?" said Amelia.  
  
Em gulped. "Let's...figure that out later."  
  
They ran down the path toward the cavern, not stopping to turn around for a second. As the four of them ran in tight formations, a few of Turnip's ex-guards blocked their way.   
  
"Hey! What's going on!"  
  
The chimera was first to direct them. "Do you guys know how to swim?"  
  
"Ummm..."  
  
The scientist gently pushed the chimera in the back, trying to get him going. "Come on! We can't be dillydallying here--"   
  
"Hey Em!" waved Tiny as he stomped right in front of the redhead's path. "What's going on? What's with that blackness coming?"  
  
The scientist paused to choose her words carefully, not really saying anything helpful at all. "Oh that...Ugggh..."  
  
"Oh, its just enough stingrays to block out the sky," said Amelia. "There's nothing that we can do, so we're getting out of here--"  
  
"Wait a minute!" yelled Tiny.   
  
Em raised her hand just long enough to stop the gentle giant in his tracks. "I'll be right back. Swear."  
  
Tiny nodded and motioned his men to let them pass. As the group left, Em looked beck for one second before charging back up to the running Zelgadis.  
  
This puzzled the chimera to no end. He turned his head over at the redheaded scientist and was about to say something harsh but caught himself at the last minute. "What's all this about?"  
  
Em looked over, into Zelgadis eyes for a couple of second longer than necessary. "I...don't want to..."  
  
"That's right! Because if you go back for them--"  
  
Something warmed in her hand. A direction -- no, a spirit, a guide of life. It was as if trying to tell her, almost blurting it out with such a rush that it was necessary to no end.   
  
She understood. Sacrifice. Her destiny...was no longer hers to control....  
  
"Zel..."  
  
They finally made in around the turn and down toward the landing. Father Em's ship was still there, looking perfectly untouched from the day before. As Em loosened and threw the tying lines into the ocean, the rest of them jumped the gap onto the small deck. In comparison to the airships or even other sailing and water ships they had been on, this one was tiny with a length barely over 35 feet.   
  
As they took survey of the craft, Em safely jumped the widening gap between the dock and the deck, just making it. She produced a key, unlocking the door to the lower desks and a second one to a hatch by the stern of the craft.   
  
"Those look almost like the same controls for your old airship," said Zel, looking over Em's shoulder.  
  
Amelia also poked around Zel's stony body, trying to get a closer look. "You mean, this thing flies too?"  
  
Em coughed. "Errr...not exactly. But then, I'm not actually sure, since I've never seen my father use this vessel..." She tapped into a couple of the controls, trying to tug the stiff levers. Nothing would budge however, not even an inch.  
  
"Damn! It's not working-" she said, startled about something. She was about to give a sigh of frustration when something in the controls pointed to a memory in the back of her mind. "Oh, silly me!"  
  
Reaching behind her back, she tugged the chaos blade into the air. "Now...where does it..." Looking carefully around the controls of the ship, she finally spotted it -- a slot, no bigger than the width for her blade. "Now....time to light the puppy." Locking her elbows, the scientist carefully guided her sword into the slot by the controls. The blade eagerly accepted the perfect fit, snapping into place.   
  
The ship, feeling the chaos erupt within its bowels like a awaking volcano, happily responded to its new source of energy. It purred alive as internal energies lit the console controls like a Christmas tree, its levers suddenly unlocking from their fixed positions.  
  
Zel caught Em's wrist jewelry glow in response to her ignited chaos blade shimmering quite boldly from within the ship's grasp. It took only a second to realize...  
  
"You're powering the ship...with the blade?" pointed Zel. He looked back at Em, mystified.   
  
"The chaos blade. You realize by now that it's also a chaos box. A very special one where crystal and box itself are intertwined like a vine around a pole." She looked over at the glowing upright sword handle, nodding her answer.   
  
Zel was enlightened. "The crystal...of course! But what are chaos stones, then? How did the Cloudminders create the stones, the very power--"  
  
"All abroad!" yelled the blond swordsman.  
  
Em sighed. "I've got to go..." She scientist looked dazed for a second before turning back to the rest of them. "Bon voyage!" she said, jumping onto the stern railing of the ship.  
  
The chimera didn't even blinked..  
  
Before anyone else could answer, the scientist had already flipped herself off the ship, jumping safely back onto the dock landing. "Go get them!"  
  
"Em!" cried Amelia, "Come back! Where are you going?"   
  
The princess' pleading was just enough to get Em's attention one last time. "I've got to help Tiny and his friends! Don't worry about me, I'll catch up!" The scientist did a quick wave, turned her back towards them.  
  
Amelia sniffed back at Zel. "I guess she's not coming with us. How come?"  
  
The chimera nodded his head, watching Em disappear up the trail. His intuition had been right after all. "Because...one person is greater than all of us. I'm not sure if I could do the same thing."  
  
The brunette nodded. "Hai..."  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Em ran like the wind.  
  
Behind her, a nasty group of flying stingrays was gathering up in small clusters. Knowing they were too weak to attack, they kept massing for an attack that was to come. Their friends, so many of them, would be here sooner than later. They numbered so many that a full sky of them would surely block the sun--  
  
She no longer had the chaos blade by her side.  
  
The redhead ducked around the very table where she stood up to Turnip the day before. Behind her, a diving stingray hit the corner of the table in a feeble attempt as it lost control it steamrolled into the dirt by Em's feet.  
  
The scientist stepped back, just managing to get splashed with a little mud. She was too busy concentrating on her past life -- how much simpler her life was without secrets, without a destiny. She believe so much in her future was awash with new ideas, new places.  
  
And now she was going to sacrifice everything she believed in -- once again.  
  
Third times a charm, she told herself.  
  
Em finally reached the area where she had left Tiny and the other former slaves of Turnip. The tables they had fixed before were littered with pieces of dead stingray. She spotted a scattering of footprints in the sand, but the humans who made them were nowhere in sight.  
  
The scientist scanned around, looking for clues where Tiny and his group had gone. At first, she thought maybe they had fled to the mansion where she grew up, but there were too many of them for all of them to trudge up the hill and already be out of sight. The cave was behind her, so that too was impossible.   
  
She spotted a little puff of white smoke, easily coming from a window from within the grounded airship. Perhaps a cooking fire or something else, whatever it was it was a sign. She ran up to the door of the airship and knocked.   
  
"Sashimi Palace. We grill you perfectly!" chimed Tiny's baritone voice.  
  
Em turned around and swatted a couple of more waylaid stingrays that had flown just a little too close. Even the slapping action of the back of her hand was enough firepower to kill the detestable creatures.   
  
"Get away from me!" Scared enough, she kicked the door. "Just let me in, damn it!"   
  
Tiny opened the entrance just a crack. "Who's there?"  
  
Before the big guy could act, Em shoved the tip of the door past Tiny's chin. She didn't spare one second as she slid right into the airship, closing the entrance door upon the pounding of stingrays.   
  
"Oh wow, you certainly had company!" he said, leveling his hand near his neck.  
  
Em tried not to think about swimming her body through a massive pile of seafood guts. "Let's just say I buy dinner next time,"  
  
"Grilled stingray?" said Tiny, holding out a stick of steaming, rubbery fish. "It's got the perfect amount of chewyness."  
  
"Uhh, thank you." She was taken back how spiced the seafood flesh was prepared. It gave the grilled item an aroma that smelled like a sooty fire. Nevertheless, she took one of the kabobs that Tiny held out with his hands.   
  
"Is that all you want?" said the large man. He took the other grilled sticks and brought them back up to his eye level. "Hey guys, more stingray for me!"  
  
Em followed her savior down the hallways of the grounded airship, tossing her untouched stingray bite down one of the open hallways. "Ahhh...that was so good!"  
  
"You like? How about some more!"  
  
"No thank you! That...errr...was perfect!"  
  
"Suit yourself..."  
  
As they traveled down the center passage of the ship, Em became more observant of her internal surroundings. She was surprised how close Turnip had been to completing the airship. If only the interior was almost completed. How...strange.  
  
She stopped, looking at a trap door hatch onto the ceiling. Her father's assistants had always been quite precise with details, which was exactly why she was very surprised to find an engraving here. Something she knew about already, only too well.  
  
Not the sign of the Cloudminders. But...of a bolt of lightning.  
  
The scientist tugged on the nearby rope that ran down next to the ceiling hatch. Her curiosity released a trap door as was swung open by gravity. From above and inside, a heavyset rope ladder unfurled itself as its length dropped to the floor, giving her an invitation of passage up several stories.   
  
Her guide turned around, watching as the redhead was already climbing the rope ladder. "Em?" But she had already pulled herself up, crossing into darkness at the same time.   
  
As she reached pulled herself up, she found herself standing up in a sunlit octagonal room. Next to her a set of controls and levers looked quite familiar. But she didn't look at them carefully, because it was the high view that stole her attention. What was impressive with the cavernous windows was the sheer amount of light and view they showed. Sure, glass had been around for wine stems and such, but never had she seen such large windows in her lifetime.  
  
So high she was the she was actually above the deck of the ship. The ground was patch marked with so many of the stingray creatures that they threatened to cover all the green of the land. She watched as a few stingrays ventured higher onto the bow of the ship, racing around the deck while looking for a way to get into the airship.  
  
"Zel..." Em spotted her father's ship listing in the middle of the ocean, drifting away as fast as it could. No matter what, the chimera and his friends had to make it to the City of the Clouds. Any more delays could have them missing their appointed time.  
  
And then from the opposite side of the peninsula, the stingrays were strangely advancing as if pushed by the gods themselves. The ocean below them...was on fire. It was a sign of powerful magic, pushing the advancing stingrays to sweep over the seas faster than inhumanly possible. If the stingrays didn't catch her friends, the unnatural-  
  
"No..."  
  
She spotted it the middle of the flames. The thought of him, here, was unbelievable. Never in her dreams...  
  
Her bracelet around her wrist glowed with the intensity equal to the anger in her heart. Her mind...was scared. The awakened spirit within ignited with anger. This was a battle fought from decisions that time had long since forgotten, because it was the victors of war that write history, not the ones who are defeated.   
  
"Wait up..." Poor Tiny was having a difficult time climbing the rope ladder since it caused his large body to wildly swaying back and forth. With a little strength and time however, he was able to get up and finally make it to the top.   
  
Em leaned her nose onto the glass window, noticing the lever by the bottom of the window at the same time. She instinctively reached down and tugged on the handle, tilting the window open.  
  
"Hey! You can't go out there! Those stingrays will see that you're up here and attack!"  
  
The scientist turned around and winked at the huge man. "Trust me on this. They'll never know what hit them."  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
The blond swordsman let the wind blow his blond hair wild. He took a standing position on the bow of the little craft, delighting himself quite nicely in the wind. He slowly extended his arms ever so slightly-  
  
"Gourry," interrupted the chimera, "you're suppose to be our look out, not the femme fatal!"  
  
"Really?" said the blond, turning back around towards the stern of the ship. The chimera was neatly sitting in the corner of the stern, with his only hand on the ship's rudder. He also spotted Amelia, with her head leaning over the side of the craft-  
  
"Seasick again?" asked Gourry.  
  
Zelgadis chuckled. "She thought that a smaller craft wouldn't get her so badly. You should have seen her turn green when I mentioned that its smaller ships where you can feel it more..."   
  
"Oh..."  
  
They both heard it from where they came from. An earsplitting explosion, overwhelming their talk...   
  
"What...was that!" pointed the swordsman.  
  
Zel did a swift turn of his head, pulling out his telescope at the same time.   
  
The peninsula was totally surrounded in blackness. From a distance, the chimera thought that a strange cloud had descended on their former position. But the closer look with his lens told him the air so choked with flying stingrays that it had turned light to darkness.  
  
But that wasn't all the blackness...no, something else was stirring up the air. He pointed the telescoping lens down and was he surprised to see the redness of flames. A fire among the darkness. And in the middle of it all, was an outlined humanoid figure, enveloped in a sea of light...  
  
And it was coming this way.  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Em gently balanced herself along the window's edge, using her strong arms to boost herself up to the canopy's rooftop. In the path of increasing winds, the octagonal roof was not easy to maneuver around with its steep angles. Still, she was finally able to climb to a central small platform, hugging the spire as she stayed close to it, all for fear of being blown off her heavenly perch.  
  
"Em! I can't help if you're all the way up there!" Tiny was having a difficult time balancing himself against the window's ledge. If he wasn't careful, his colossal body would fall out.  
  
The scientist waved her guide away. "Go back inside! You can't help me out here!" A gust blew the scientist around a bit as she hung onto the spire, refusing to let the furious air win.   
  
"Aiigghh!" bellowing the large man, as Tiny fell back safely into through the window.  
  
Now, said Em to herself. A moment that could never forget.  
  
It was time.  
  
The tiara, from before. Em looked down at the mystical piece of jewelry, knowing that where it was taking her...was a one-way trip. She put it on, carefully centering it among her locks of auburn hair. Like a glove, the tiara wrapped itself safely among her curls of red hair, making a flower among the grouping by her ear.  
  
A day before, she swore never to open and reveal its secrets. Yet, the letter from her mother had sworn to fulfill her destiny of time...  
  
...and to the Cloudminders.  
  
'I ran down the passages of their kingdom. I was scared for my life, for they wanted to take it from me. Next to my feet, lay the decaying body of my friend. And I could not stay and give him proper burial, for their guards with their terrible weapons would be upon me in mere minutes.'  
  
'I was running away from them. I had to. There was no escape from their terrible lust for power. It was never a good thing, nor an evil thing. But more like...the wrong thing.'   
  
'That is why, dearest daughter, I escaped with you. If they are able to track me down, and most defiantly they will, then I will need someone to carry on legacy. That is the gift I leave for you, dearest little one. For within the very palm of their tiny hands the Cloudminders...had the power to smash gods...'  
  
'Bless them all....make sure that price is never paid...'  
  
Her bracelet, her chaos partner, began to glow again...  
  
"I...understand..." Em raised her hand into the air, letting the wind envelope around her body. It took instant hold as power erupted all around...  
  
And she suddenly found herself floating in the sky...like a feather adrift in the wild...  
  
"I...can't live anymore, as I was. I can't let them win, no matter the cost--"  
  
The air turned deadly still, as if waiting and watching for the final crescendo.   
  
A light.   
  
No, a flame of hope.  
  
And where something floated before was only energy that lit the sky as bright as the sun itself.   
  
And silence.  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
"Why are we down here again?" asked Biru as he squinted through the port window. "I know! I'll sneak up there at night, and take the chaos blade from Lina's friend. Then we can get all the powers you mentioned before."  
  
Thoth sighed. "For the last time, we can't just go topside and steal the chaos sword. Stone boy and his friends aren't just going to 'disappear' into thin air."  
  
"But..."  
  
"We'll wait," replied the old man. "for the moment. And then-"  
  
Biru was too distracted with something outside the window to care. "That thing...its sure big," chimed the innkeeper, with his nose totally pressed down against the glass. Whatever was holding his attention was surely some sight.  
  
"What are you blabbering about now?" responded Thoth, leaning over disheveled from all of Biru's troublemaking. So uncomfortable was the strain in Biru's voice that to gave to something definitely up.  
  
The old man managed to get on his feet, nudging his partner out of the way. "Let me see..." Whatever irritated look he had on his face before immediately drained away as the small porthole filled with the light of heaven. "Oh... That is not a pretty sight..."   
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Amelia watched in awe at the bright reflection in the chimera's eyes. Light like a feather from a newborn dove. Light that could not even compare with the powers of Mazoku nor a Dragon.   
  
So reflective were the chimera's eyes that Amelia was caught just in the power of the reflection...and the first tear she even seen from the chimera.  
  
It was beautiful...   
  
"Em..." Zel kneeled, almost begging for forgiveness. "Why didn't I see it..."   
  
"...Cepheid," blessed the princess, "have mercy on all our souls..."  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Another chapter done. Yippee! Next one...very soon. Have it written, just putting the final bits together...  
  
A little dedication of this chapter to my non-ff.net friend Erika. Thank you, for keeping me on the side away from the blues... Don't you dare be blue now, my friend.  
  
- Incantrix   
  
incantrix @ dreamclouds.com  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o--- 


	12. Chapter 12: Expectations! Truth or Dare!

---o--o--o---  
  
  
  
[Author] Hello, Xellos...  
  
[Xellos] I don't do introductions...Never liked them...   
  
[Author] Well... I have this certain feeling that this is going to be your special chapter.   
  
[Xellos] This chapter? Really?   
  
[Author] Yup...  
  
[Xellos] {squirms} You had better not make me this 'very special' chapter, which would also means this story is jumping the shark...  
  
[Author] It's that or I order the parade of kawaii nekos to come charging in and fill every last inch of this place.   
  
[Xellos] {sweat drops}  
  
[Author] Now, don't you think the first idea is better?  
  
[Xellos] Didn't you know I love special chapters? I really do...  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
Slayers: Clouds!  
  
Chapter 12:  
  
Expectations! Truth or Dare!  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
The sorcerer picked herself up from the cold ground. It was early in the day, with the sun's rays were just starting the shine on the harsh mountains behind her, that itself enough of a indication of dawn.  
  
She exhaled, her breath visible as a white cloud in the cold damp air. She took a step back and decided that it was too early to be up this morning. No matter the cost...  
  
The sorcerer walked over to where the others were sleeping, dragging her feet with every step through the wet grass and leaves and sticks. Everything outside was covered in cold dew, the air saturated with moisture.   
  
She looked over to the fire pit, finally acknowledging to herself that she had been traveling alone. "I wonder..." she talked to herself, "why I'm here..." She looked around, disappointed. "And always...alone..."  
  
Hours before...the chaos box in her hands...  
  
Indeed, she remembered fighting her last Mazoku opponent as a...blond. But she looked at her figure, then at her skin... she was a redhead! She even tugged at her hair, finally realizing that she was back to her fiery self.  
  
"I guess I have to thank you, Maximilian." She stirred around a little bit, realizing the intentions of the Sheik's son-in-law had been honest all along. If only, she knew what it was all about. "Blasted Cloudminders and their secrets."  
  
A little gust of wind blew the surrounding cold away, the visibility improving by every minute. The sun had finally made its appearance, evaporating the cold moisture away. The fog lifted, showing Lina that she was a lot closer to a cliff ledge than even herself had even realized. Curious as ever, she walked precariously close to the edge, looking over a low cloud as it swept past her feet.   
  
"Wow...I'm...really up high..."  
  
The wind increased its furious pace, sweeping away the rest of the clouds from the hidden valley below. Below her feet, life teemed with such density that she couldn't believe. Among thick jungle of trees and bushes, she could see the tiny brooks and streams of water as they splashed among the rocky terrain. The land...it was new, as if only formed recently by the lord of chaos.  
  
"Morning, Lina," said the voice of Xellos.  
  
She turned her head to the right, red hair windswept across her face in a sudden gust. Along came the smell...of life. She didn't know if it was a sign of its end or its very beginning -- and whether it was a goal of the Mazoku beside her to snuff out its preciousness...  
  
"I see that you're back together." Xellos encircled her position, as if examining her from afar like a work of art. "More auburn this time. I do like it better."   
  
Lina turned her head towards the mysterious priest. "No thanks to you." She took a couple of playful steps towards the Mazoku, as if ready to pounce him. "Why do you always have me greeting you in fantasy places like this? I mean, a visit after breakfast would be nice every once in a while."  
  
"Ahh..." Xellos took a step back, tugging at his collar at the same time. "Maybe because its always been a little to inconvenient for me. I really do hate having conflicts. Let us let that pass for the moment..."   
  
The redhead fumed, thinking a little at the same time. "As you say." She kicked a clog of dirt over the cliff, letting it tumble into the deep valley below. "So, how about some questions answered, at least?"  
  
The Mazoku pushed the inquiry aside, at the same time turning his head into a gust of wind. "I'll hear you Lina, but don't think I'll answer them entirely."  
  
Lina crossed her arms. "Well, I wouldn't expect you to spill the beans. That's how I know you are you, and not someone disguised as you."   
  
Xellos sweat dropped. "Ano...I guess that was a compliment."  
  
The redhead took a rather inconvenient position behind Xellos' backside, an intimidating position even for Lina. "So what's going on here? I've been to more, out of the way places in the last week than even I care to see. And I don't like them."  
  
"Really?" plucked the Mazoku. "And what about the casinos? Aren't they a Mazoku's best friend?"  
  
"That's besides the point! How come you haven't been around, except with Filia?"  
  
The Mazoku smiled a bit. "Just think of it as a vacation from me! Actually, its because I've been in quite high demand."   
  
Lina turned around and blinked her eyes. "You've been more than sly these past few days, but your latest appearance with Filia and delaying of my...*cough*... wedding." Lina took a minute to swallow the words before continuing. "Excuse the pun, but it takes the cake."   
  
Xellos snorted.  
  
"That in itself wasn't enough of a clue to put the whole picture together, except that you keep visiting me in my dreams..."   
  
Xellos sighed, letting all his trapped air out. "Really now. You have the faintest idea what's going on. For all you know," he said, snapping his fingers, "the world could be over and you wouldn't have known what had happened."  
  
"Yea, right. I so doubt it..." countered Lina, not impress with Xellos acting. "But there's something you're not telling me. And yet, you gave us enough information-"  
  
"Ano..." as he lifted his finger into the air. "I did no such thing..."  
  
An interrupting crack of thunder made both of them look up into the sky. Clouds that that blocked the deep blue sky were drifting away as if blown away, encircling something... The wind picked up again, as greenery and then signs of civilization poked thought the tops of the clouds.   
  
"I see I don't have a choice..." said Xellos. "My...my..."   
  
"...damn..." She thought it was a town or city high in a mountain, but that would have been impossible because it was just so damn high... "I must be dreaming..."  
  
"No, not a all."   
  
"The City of the Clouds..." she murmured on her lips. She spoke barely loud enough for the Mazoku to hear her words. "But this isn't a dream, is it? This is of long ago, of when you were there, Xellos."  
  
"Well..." said the mysterious priest, talking to himself. "You're right..."   
  
Yes, he thought, it's time...  
  
He knew he was ever so revealing the past...but the tipping of the scales was necessary, for Lina was going to find out...one way or another. Better to peel each horrifying layer off than take it in all at once.   
  
Time to play your hand...because, if Lina ever did learn the truth at once...  
  
"Xellos!" Lina puffed. "Who are the Cloudminders?"   
  
"Indeed. You sure ask a lot of questions."  
  
She turned around on her feet until her eyes glared up at Xellos', her chin leaning on his cape. "Damn it, Xellos! Give me a straight answer for once!"  
  
A bird in hand. So much effort had been put in on his part, so to make sure that every step was believable. So, he thought about the next piece, and the next drop--  
  
"You may not like the truth..." said the Mazoku. "Little girls don't like it when they don't get candy..."  
  
"Get to the point!"  
  
Xellos looked down into the eyes of the redhead, his sight never blinded by his long purplish hair. "Ahhh, the Cloudminders. Well, if you must know, it was a time so very long ago." He waved his arms wide, making his cape breeze in the wind. "And indeed, I was there."  
  
It was enough of a distraction... that everything Lina saw everything around her fade as if she were dropped into the clouds themselves. She even looked down and saw the fuzzy white of cloud underneath her feet.  
  
"Think of it...as a page from my own history..."  
  
Lina scowled. She needed the truth, not an ancient lesson. "Tell me without all the lights and distractive amusements-" But she caught herself as she was about to say the next thing...   
  
Indeed, Xellos' memory had indeed been from a long time ago. The youngest trees from her former vision were gone. The land was rougher, with streams that carved into new mountains. Even the rest of the vegetation was young, with no bushes larger than a foot tall. This was land, perfectly, as if untouched by human hands.  
  
The place was exactly the same as her dreams. Except another time. And where the blue sky had been...was the floating City of the Clouds, its magnificent towers reflecting sunlight into her eyes...   
  
"How long ago..."  
  
"Before the fall..." smiled the mysterious priest. "The Cloudminders...so nubile back then."  
  
Lina nodded. There was so much to take in that she didn't know what her next step would be. She viewed the whole valley as one, catching a sudden movement off to the far left. Her eyes darted across the valley until she stopped, her stare transfixed on one object-  
  
"Ahhh, you do see it..." interrupted the mysterious priest.  
  
Indeed, Lina's eyes were no longer looking at the City of the Clouds, but glued to tower of stone on the far ridge, its newness glistening as well.   
  
She paused, remembering where she had seen the very familiar object. "A seal...of the golden dragons..." She looked at the new tower, amazed how splendid it looked in its colors of silver and gray. Those other previous towers they had unearthed from the other side of the world...they were dull and had been stripped of their cosmetic beauty, a trifle comparison to this seal....   
  
Her eyes stared at it as her mind clicked away. It was her heart that had the answers all along...but they couldn't tell everything...   
  
Xellos helped her out. "The dragons...they have been busy preparing for this day."  
  
"Dragons..." followed Lina, looking back into the sky at the Cloudminders. "What dragons?"   
  
Xellos spun around, his cape billowing up for a second, pointing with his staff out toward the city. "See them..." He raised his cane, as if a grand stage announcement. "Watch them! As they...attack the Cloudminders..."  
  
Her heart pounded!  
  
Lina watched with incredible awe as a group of golden dragons circled around their tower. A familiar one directed them. The Supreme Elder! A roar or two from his golden Dragon followers, as they communicated to each other, finally diving from the high reaches of the sky...  
  
They disappeared, then something else reappeared just as fast. It was white and black, a mix of energy that was indescribable except to say it was potent...  
  
"No...then this was part of what they did..."  
  
"Hmmm?" questioned Xellos.  
  
"Their history...the golden dragons-"  
  
Xellos smiled, quite content with Lina's answer. "Yes, you see, it has always been a part of history."  
  
From behind the floating city, a pitiful number of ancient dragons darted forward, defending against the attack. Pointless, thought Lina, but it didn't seem to matter...  
  
Her skin crawled. Even though this was a scene from history, it was nevertheless an angry sort of execution. They outnumbered the ancient dragons with more than fifty members, while the number of ancient dragons could barely be counted on one hand.  
  
"Stop it!"  
  
"I can't. After all, its already happened." He circled around the sorcerer, egging for Lina to respond. "I saw it all! And I loved the magnificent battle...  
  
"...No..."  
  
"...as they destroyed what was left of the Cloudminders," grinned the Mazoku.  
  
"That can't be!"  
  
"And the City of the Clouds...became their second grave of sorts. And a history lesson was born..."  
  
Lina was too shocked to say much else.   
  
"All that was left was their legacy...their chaos...but no, golden dragons were so protective of their world..."  
  
The sorcerer watched Filia's former master direct the final command, as dragons began to encircle the burning floating city--  
  
There was a sudden flash in the sky, next to the City of the Clouds. It blinded the sorcerer if only for a second, her mouth turning dry at the same time. Something in the back of mind shouted betrayal, but there was nothing that she could do...  
  
"What happened?" she asked. "Why did it happen?"   
  
"For a time...the Cloudminders held a power that even you cannot imagine. The golden Dragons couldn't destroy the city itself, so...they played with it, with a spell of sorts. They locked the door and threw away the key...  
  
"What are you talking about now?"  
  
"Oh, it was a quite a spell. It...sent the Cloudminders barreling forward in time, so no one...not even us Mazoku, could interfere. Those dragons...were quite cunning. Not at all like their counterparts of today."   
  
It explained so much to Lina.. She wanted to pull out and search through Aermark's journal. "So that's why...every sixty years..."  
  
"The Cloudminders power...dead and buried, was never forgotten. And the dragon's spell wasn't perfect. For during every appearance..."   
  
The sorcerer cursed, her dream world suddenly hazing over again. "Their secrets..."  
  
"Well, you seemed to have stumbled upon a few of them," answered the Mazoku. "Dirty little Dragons. How they are unable to clean up their mess..."  
  
"A grave..." The words on the tip of her tongue made her shiver. "Then why are the secrets of the Cloudminders coming out?"  
  
The purple priest swept the question aside, if ever so for a second. "Just remember, Lina...I wasn't the one who followed the crumbs."   
  
"I still think you're-"   
  
Xellos interrupted the sorcerer with a tilt his head, nodding as if to someone else. "Oh, I believe that your allotted time is up. I do hope you can handle the ride from here..."  
  
"Wait a minute!" She charged the mysterious priest, her dream abruptly slipping away. "I want some more answers, Xellos!"   
  
She cried out for time...but it was all disappearing too fast! Was it going to end like this?  
  
All that was left was the cheshire grin of the Mazoku. She reached out...before that too disappeared...  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
"...Xellos, you cunning fool..."  
  
Lina awoke in a sweat, her curly red hair matted down her back. She checked herself out, first with a tug of hair from her head. As it spilled across her face, she spotted the red locks immediately, releasing a built up sigh. A quick feel of the rest of her body told her the same story. "I don't ever want to do that again."   
  
She spotted Sylphiel cradled in one of the plush chairs next to her bed. Like a child, she was sucking her thumb as she soundlessly slept -- impossibly at peace.   
  
Lina thought about the last few hours in her mind. Maximilian on his deathbed, pointing out the ancient dragons as the Cloudminders. It certainly had been a sudden surprise, and it explained many of the awesome powers the Cloudminders possessed. The relics certainly matched the little she knew about the ancient dragons, other than their structures were big and full of secrets. The bridge of the ancients...its name itself lent from the ancient dragons.  
  
She couldn't help being catered to the Mazoku's little show -- for it explained a great deal. The Cloudminders...their disappearance...fit the timeline of the missing ancient dragons. So, if the City of the Clouds was nothing but a relic, the leftovers destroyed by the Filia's golden dragon's clan..  
  
Filia. She could not even imagine that the blond dragon knew of her clan's second black mark on its past. One secret had remained a secret for so long, yet eventually it was revealed. Lina couldn't imagine Filia having distaste for anyone, including the Cloudminders. There was no way...  
  
The sorcerer shuddered. Telling the shrine dragon of another mark against her family...even for Lina, it was too much to bear.   
  
Some things were better left unsaid now that Xellos had shown her a glimpse into the past. A picture of truth; of history, as past transgressions.... She was sure that Filia had not known...   
  
Lina sighed, re-tracing her thoughts for the next few days. First, they would meet up with Zelgadis, Gourry, and Amelia in the plains to the southwest of here. From there it was a day's journey, to the place according to Aermark's journal...a valley of ice and snow. A natural bowl, sealed off by hills of ice, just thawing every so often. And in the middle of the Ice Hills, high in the sky...is where the relic of the City of the Clouds would appear once again...  
  
Still, Xellos could be fibbing the whole thing...  
  
Then why was she so scared?  
  
"...Sylphiel?" chimed a skittish Lina, throwing her comforter aside. She needed serious girl talk with a friend.  
  
The shrine maiden stirred around a bit, still dressed in her traveling outfit from last night. She had been so tired in the end that she had fallen asleep in her clothes, still dusty from all the desert winds.   
  
"Wake up..." said Lina, her teeth chattering like she was cold.  
  
The purple haired maiden's eyes fluttered open if just for a second. "Oh...Lina...I...you're..."  
  
Lina came over and sat on the edge of the comfy chair, looking down at the shrine maiden. "Thank you..."  
  
"Hai..." The shrine maiden flustered up before leaning back in her chair, gathering her composure from the rough day to come. "I'm glad to see that you're back to normal. Kerchef helped me get you back here after yesterday..." She face froze. "Eeeep! I'm such a disheveled mess!"  
  
"Hush..." Lina got up and circled around the room, trying to get the news together in her head. A realization came to her as she darted out of her bedroom towards the sitting room. "Filia!"  
  
"She's...not here," interrupted Sylphiel. "She wasn't here when we got back. And no one has seen her since the aborted ceremony from yesterday. In fact, some of her stuff is gone...."  
  
Lina came back in as soon as she left, sitting back down on the bed, quite disgusted with herself. "And I'm not even hungry right now..."   
  
"I know," said the shrine maiden, sitting down on the bed next to Lina. She leaned her body against the smaller redhead with a hug. "We've been though a lot this last week or so. It's been hard...on all of us..."  
  
"Sylphiel..." The sorcerer nodded, the tone of her voice turning deadly serious.... "There's something I have to tell you..."  
  
The shrine maiden dislodged herself from Lina, crossed her legs all while scurrying over to the other side of the bed. "What is it, Lina?"  
  
The sorcerer turned around, leaning her backside on the dresser. "With what Maximilian told me yesterday, and..." She didn't want to tell the shrine maiden about her dream conversation with Xellos, just that she knew about it. "Other...things." She swallowed her words for second, before continuing. "I think...the golden dragons are involved with the Cloudminders..."  
  
Sylphiel looked up, her face whitened. "How?"  
  
Lina paused. "Xellos has been hiding the secrets of the Cloudminders from us. At first, I thought because they were Dragons."  
  
"Golden dragons," finished the shrine maiden. "From the tapestry that we saw in Monte Darlo, it was your guess that the Cloudminders were Dragons."  
  
"Exactly...but before he died, Maximilian told me who the Cloudminders were...Ancient Dragons,"  
  
Sylphiel face turned ashen.  
  
"Think about the clues we saw! From that tapestry, the city wasn't defended, but surrounded by golden dragons."  
  
"That is not possible..." Sylphiel shook her head, refusing to believe the sorcerer's words. "I can't believe that..."  
  
The redhead paused, letting the answer sink into the shrine maiden's head. She paced around the room like a trapped animal, the thoughts racing in her mind. The world's future...had become very cloudy, and it only took a second...  
  
"But...then the Cloudminders?" The purple haired one refused to let the answer die.  
  
Lina nodded her head so low that her eyes only saw ground. "I'm sorry..."  
  
"You mean?" concluded the purple-haired maiden, the her face filled with horror. "The golden dragons..."  
  
"By their hands...they destroyed the Cloudminders."   
  
Sylphiel tried not the think about it. "No..."  
  
"It fits perfectly. I've seen it once already, where ancient dragons hid from their fellow dragons. The golden dragon's price for showing disloyalty..."  
  
"But..." Sylphiel didn't have much else to say.  
  
"The Mazoku wouldn't care much, except... maybe for their tools...the chaos boxes and stones... " As if on queue, Lina tugged at her waist, bringing the chaos stone up to view.   
  
"The chaos stone?" commented Sylphiel.  
  
"Xellos wants these things as well. I'm almost positive he's been collecting them behind our back." She tapped her foot impatiently for a second, "He wanted us...to get involved..."  
  
The purple shrine maiden shrugged her shoulders. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yea...I'm sure of that now. But, even his intentions are cloudy."  
  
"Hai..." The shrine maiden turned her head around, afraid to ask the next question. "And what about Filia?"  
  
Lina pondered the question for a second. After what had happened before...Dark Star... the ancient dragons... Nothing made sense about it. Yes, Filia was a golden dragon, the last of her clan. "She has no reason fight against the ancient dragons of the Cloudminders. She...was willing to give up her life at one point...for Valgaav."  
  
Something jogged through Lina's mind. With such news, she remembered the mirror.   
  
"Damn! I've got to tell the others!" The redhead reached around on her dresser and raised the communication mirror to talk to Zelgadis and the others. It revealed...nothing but a black image. "It's not working! And at a time like this?"  
  
The shrine maiden sighed. "There's not much we do about that. Beside, they know where and when they're meeting us...right?"  
  
"Uh-huh..." She felt something...temperate in the palm of her hand. It was like the heart of fire was touching her smooth skin, warming her body if only just for a second.  
  
She turned over the chaos stone in her hand. Indeed, the crystal was hot to the touch. But...how? There were no chaos boxes anywhere...nor did she feel the pull...  
  
She reached and pulled the chaos stone up to her eyes for a closer inspection. She glared carefully for clues, looking into the perfect clearness of the crystal. Turning it into the light of the room, it was then she noticed a fog from within the stone itself.  
  
Something was in the crystal! Swirling around, it was like a breath of air moisturizing on a cold winter day. But this fog wasn't white like ice...but stained blood-red with the power of a Mazoku. And then she saw the edging of the crystal, even darker than before, the power trapped like a prison....  
  
"Lina..." Sylphiel could see the sorcerer's facial expression turn from jovial to solemn within a span of a couple of second. "Is...something wrong?"  
  
"Very wrong..." She took the stone and held it up into a stream of sunlight coming from the nearby window. The chaos within the crystal didn't like being examined one bit. It started to smoke the color of red, the fog streaming off its very corners of the gem. "This...thing. Its like its alive. How can it be active without the presence of a chaos box?"  
  
Sylphiel looked over Lina's shoulder, the surprise in her eyes immediately glued to the smoldering chaos stone. "And you don't known why?"  
  
"Not at all. Maybe because it knows that the Cloudminders are only a day or two away. Maybe because its secrets are finally know. Or that its creator's identity..."  
  
Something...was indeed waiting for her.   
  
Lina ran up to her dresser, starting to pack her stuff in her small travel bag. It didn't take very long to get organized. "Come on, we've got to see the Sheik, and quickly!"  
  
"Hai!"   
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Filia had packed extremely light compared to the rest of her journey. Out of the three suitcases that she had left back at the Sheik's city, she didn't carry a single one of them the rest of the way. Instead, she had taken with her a light tummy pack that was swung diagonally across her chest. Though it was a little small, its size was ready made for lightning travel.   
  
All those times had traveled with Lina, she refused to transform...unless totally driven mad under the gaze of one frightful Mazoku. And even that was embarrassing to herself.   
  
Still, she had no choice in the matter now. For she was...a dragon. And instead of walking, she flew as a dragon among the clouds, quickly across the harsh lands. Below her, desert lands became fertile once again. The soft hills were perfect for her type of traveling -- not too rough and treacherous to cause harm while still uneven enough to provide plenty of cover.   
  
She tired from a half day of flying and felt that it was best to slow down. So she settled down a little more, letting her wings do more gliding among the winds.   
  
Winds...that reminded her of home. Not her current one, but the home she had with her clan members. Of golden dragons...  
  
She was the last of her clan.   
  
It was so much simpler when she had followed the orders of her elders. As one of the dragons, she was required many times to follow the order of others. And then, she disobeyed them...  
  
Then what was it that made this journey so difficult? Was it for the secrets of the Cloudminders? Or was it because she had been taking her directions from someone else?   
  
Or because...she too, knew that this was the way...  
  
The only way...  
  
Her heart was in pain. Even with Dark Star and the times before her new home felt so minuscule when compared to now. All because those golden dragons...the same ones who hid secrets from her. She loved them...despised them...and never forgave them...   
  
She was the only one to carry out their unwilling task.  
  
Ancient dragons. Forever linked to her own clan, they continued to play a role in her life. It had been said that Ancient Dragons were the real secret holders, because their passing was the ultimate way to hide from others. After all, if you're dead...then who is there to tell your secrets?   
  
Humans, on the other hand, had never meant to be part of the equation between the Dragons and Mazoku. Yet, they were there once already, saving the world within a blink of darkness. Their life spans were so short in comparison that they were barely comparable to a feather in a Dragon's cap.   
  
If humans...had ever learned of the secrets of the Cloudminders...the true power they controlled and the devastation they could have wrought...  
  
She could not even imagine it in her mind.   
  
Exactly the reasons why she stuck to Lina like glue. Each time, she pointed them in a slight misdirection, each obstacle harder than the first. Besides guiding them, she had taken incredible steps to make sure the sorcerer had not found out...  
  
She shuddered. Why does the brink of the world feel so meager when compared to now? Why, she asked herself... What matters more than anything than before?  
  
Valgaav.   
  
Her little adopted son. Even she was surprised on how much she had missed her unborn child. Whereas she thought about him maybe a couple of times a day, now she could not drive his delicate image from her mind. Now that he was no longer under her care -- it was that very thought of him caused Filia to sob--  
  
A sudden gust of wind swooped the flying dragon higher into the sky. Tears that flew from her eyes...crystallized against her scales, causing her terrible pains around her eyes. She tried to twist her head a little in the wind, but that only caused her body to spin. She banked and headed down for a landing.   
  
She caught something in the view corner of her eye. Purple hair and cape billowing in the wind, her most hated Mazoku was only a few or so feet away, flying in perfect parallel with both of his arms out wide.   
  
"Out for a stroll, dearest one?" smiled the Mazoku. "I must say, it's quite a distance if you're planning to return to the Sheik's city by nightfall." He lazily banked and dived right in front of her nose, barely missing her chin.   
  
"Go away!" she cried out. "Can't you leave me alone!"  
  
"Well excuse me, I didn't mean to-" Xellos twisted into the wind, circling under the dragon like a mosquito to flesh. "You know, that tummy of yours-"  
  
A swat of her wing was little defense against the Mazoku -- she saw the mysterious priest was staying for the long haul. "Is there any reason why you're following me?" Filia sniffed distastefully.   
  
"Oh, not really," grinned the Mazoku. "You know, I just happened to be in the neighborhood."   
  
"Yea, right. Looking for an all-night dragon stand?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, I was looking to pick up some kawaii ones. Know any good spots around here?"  
  
Filia sulked. "Baka!'  
  
Xellos knew the pressure was on. He had been so looking forward to this. For the golden dragon was wild with her emotions, exploding like an out of control wildfire. Yet, he could feel the sadness, the burden...everything was starting to come together. Now! he thought, its finally getting interesting.  
  
He looked back over at his flying escort. "I see you traveled light, little dragon. Perhaps this is a one-way trip?"  
  
She ignored him, preferring to mull over her upcoming task. She had all the key ingredients save for the ginger root that grew nearby on the steps of the Ice Hills. She hoped that the frosty weather had not dimmed her chances in finding a local component.  
  
"Humph!" The dragon banked again, leaving the Mazoku in her wake. She neither had the patience nor the time to deal with Xellos' chatty remarks. If she succeeded, then the world would be a better place. No doubt...   
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
"Uzumara! Where are you?"   
  
Lina furiously ran down the lower streets of the Sheik's city, the shrine maiden in tow. "Where is that blasted Sheik and his followers?"  
  
"You're asking me?" commented Sylphiel, turning her head around for a look around. She spotted a large group of standing people, also spotting the pike tips above their heads. "Ummm, Lina?"  
  
"You see something?" The redhead didn't have to ask much else, for Sylphiel was already pointing her in the right direction. "Good job!"  
  
The two of them hit a crowd wall, the people already shoulder to shoulder. Still, Lina was determined to fight through the crowd, shoving left and right. "Move it...to the side, buddy! There we go...you're a big guy, so lean the other way, idiot!"  
  
Behind Lina was the apologetic voice of the purple-haired maiden. "Excuse me...pardon me...oh, that's so nice of you...oh dear..."  
  
The two ladies ran smack into two guards, unable to move any more forward. "Hey, we're here to see the Sheik!" chimed the redhead, shouting as loudly as she could.   
  
One of them snarled, not even to bother to turn around. "Yea, you and everyone else here. Be quiet!"  
  
Beyond the guards, the Sheik and Kerchef were busy chatting and directing citizens of their fair city. Unlike the lavishness of the Forbidden Dome, this setting seemed...simple. Still, the Sheik's men were protecting their fair ruler, letting in people selectivity from the crowd.  
  
"Move, buster! We're here to see Uzumara! We are personal acquaintances of the ruler!"  
  
The rude guard chuckled. "And I'm a dragon king!"  
  
The shrine maiden sighed. This was going to be a long day.   
  
"Hey Kerchef! How about letting us in?"  
  
The captain of the guards couldn't help not hearing the squeaky voice of the sorcerer. "Yea, and what do you want?"  
  
Lina beamed. "Depends how you feel. I'm back to my old self, and I don't see any chaos boxes around."  
  
Kerchef didn't smile nor frown at seeing the redhead and her companion as he barked out a few unintelligent orders. His men responded, opening a passage for the two of them to come down.  
  
"It's about time," blurted the redhead.  
  
The captain was not very happy to see the two ladies, his eyes still bloodshot from yesterday. "Excuse me for asking, but don't you have some floating city to go to?"  
  
Lina and Kerchef were about thirty seconds away from a blow-by-blow-.  
  
"Excuse me, but are you all right, Kerchef?" Sylphiel spoke up from behind the crazy redhead; cutting off the arising conflict.   
  
The shrine maiden's kind words softened up the tough captain, making him back up for a second to gather up his thoughts. "Yea, its been a tough few days." He looked over at Sylphiel, his anger folding like a house of cards. "Come on, I'll show you the way."  
  
"Thank you," comforted the shrine maiden. "I'm sure Maximilian would be very happy right now."  
  
Kerchef sniffed. "I guess so." He moved aside, bringing the two of them up to the sitting Sheik. Instead of a grandiose throne room like before, the Sheik sat in a simple wooden chair, with the two kawaii ninja girls to one side. The Sheik and his 'assistants' were elevated by a wooden platform by less than a foot, but it was really so everyone could see them.   
  
"Like the setup, actually. It's actually quite charming," pointed Lina, with a wink of her eyes.  
  
"Oh, be quiet," huffed the captain, not enjoying his master's new role with his people. "Why couldn't he be a normal ruler, I'll never know."  
  
Sylphiel frowned. "Well, that isn't exactly an improvement of attitude."  
  
"Who cares! If Uzumara had any guts, he'd take to sword-"  
  
"Kerchef!"   
  
Sure enough, the elder fish Sheik was standing directly behind Kerchef, his eyes ripe with resentment. "You have some nerve-"  
  
The captain wheeled around, his face full of astonishment. "Sheik! I was just telling Lina about your former-"  
  
"Can it, son. I know how you feel about how I'm running everything." He took a couple of encircling steps around his adopted family member. "I'm disappointed with you."  
  
Kerchef grimaced, hearing how disappointed the Sheik was of his behavior. "I understand. I'll do much better next time..." He quickly nodded and turned away, busily mouthing off a few commands to the underling guards.  
  
"You know," commented Uzumara, "he's going to be a great Sheik someday."   
  
"I'm sure he'll do fine," said Sylphiel.  
  
Lina paused at hearing Uzumara's words, but was completely blown away by Sylphiel's follow-up comment. She was about to say something to the effect of crazy/nuts/etc. when she stopped; her finger pointed outward with her mouth open like a lowered drawbridge.   
  
But nothing came to mind. Oh well. And as she shut her trap, the only thing she could do was swear under her breath.   
  
"So...are you taking off, Lina?" asked Mime, one of the twin ninja girls. She had come up to the left side of the Sheik, almost hugging the ruler by the shoulder. She immediately noticed the sheik's advisors mark on their chests, the same of Maximilian and Kerchef wore.   
  
"Errr...yeah." The redhead nodded. "Quite soon. Are you two comfortable here?"  
  
"Oh, we like it here," said Nene, nodding to her fellow sister. "Our new job rocks."  
  
"I'm sure about that," muttered a redhead.  
  
"But eventually, we'll have go back north toward Monte Darlo," said Mime. "There's only one way to get back, and that's over the Bridge of the Ancients."  
  
"Errr...that." Lina felt her collar suddenly tighter around her neck. "Well, I'm sure it will be a fine trip back."   
  
"Lina?" interrupted Sylphiel   
  
"Well, I'm sure there's another--"  
  
"Lina!" She shot the sorcerer a dirty look, making Lina twitch a little more. "You should be ashamed!"  
  
  
  
It made the sorcerer kick her feet in disgust, finally caving to the shrine maiden's pressure. "Mime...actually...its gone. Didn't mean to...errrr..."  
  
The girls' sweat dropped.  
  
"Really...when we came to it, it was suddenly..."  
  
"LINA!"  
  
The sorcerer sighed. "Well, this big dragon showed up, and it was shooting out lightning everywhere, and there were these guys shooting fireballs and then--" And what could only be described as the first hand-motion of a Dragon Slave.  
  
Uzumara chuckled. "Hohoho, I should have known. You are well known for your destructive tendencies."  
  
Lina blushed. "It wasn't like that! I swear we were running for our lives."  
  
"Its true," spoke up the shrine maiden, "we did all that we could. Its unfortunate that it happened, but it was necessary to save our lives."  
  
Her statement quieted the group, making the shrine maiden fall back into her kawaii, normal self.  
  
"Well," said Nene, "we still have to go north."  
  
  
  
Lina nodded. So...they were going past the Shrine of the Dragon Water King.   
  
And then, something popped into her head. She had thought about it when waking up from her dream with Xellos.   
  
How suddenly convenient everything was becoming.   
  
If true...then she could not take any chances. Not with what Xellos had shown her.  
  
"Nene? Mime?" coyly waved the redheaded sorcerer, "can you two come here for a second? There's some I need to ask you about..."  
  
Uzumara and Sylphiel watched as both the ninja girls followed Lina into a little private powwow. "Know anything about that?" asked the Sheik, quite disappointed that he had not been invited.   
  
"Not really," said the disappointed shrine maiden, "I'll ask her later about it, however..."  
  
They watched Lina produce a small scroll of paper from one of her inner pockets. The redhead quickly scribbled down a couple of choice words before handing it over to the ninja girls, along with a small sack of coins. Both of the girls nodded their heads obediently before scurrying away.   
  
"Lina?" asked the purple-haired maiden, "what's going on?"  
  
"Sorry about that. But...I have to be sure about something, Sylphiel. I was reminded in the dream, but it wasn't until Mime said something..." She was about to let it all out, before turning her eyes back to Uzumara.   
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
Sylphiel could only see the seriousness in Lina's eyes. They didn't even dare...to blink.  
  
"I have to know," and the redhead, "the path we're taking is the right one. But...how can I know that? What makes this the better way..."  
  
The shrine maiden gently put her hand up on the redhead's shoulder, comforting the supposedly stronger willed one. "You know right from wrong. You're told me that the rights of any one person..."  
  
"Is to survive," finished the sorcerer. "Sometimes...I don't realize that." She turned gently toward Sylphiel, giving off a little wink. "Thanks."  
  
The purple haired maiden squealed, entirely too happy. "Oh...Lina..."  
  
"Eeeep!" The sorcerer looked up into the sun for a second, finally realizing how late in the afternoon it was. "Ahhhh!" The redhead grabbed the shrine maiden's hand and tugged her away at lightning speed. "Come on! We've got only one day to make up two days of travel!"  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Filia looked out at the lush bowl-shaped valley; her position giving her quite a view. Where once the land had been new and rocky, now there was little sign of newness among the land. The mountains that made up the valley had over time aged down, much smaller than of their former selves. The trees here were low-lying and low in number, yet proud they stood against the blowing winds. Even the grass that covered the lands was mix of lush patches of greenery mixes with brown fields, a sort of patchwork that was absolutely peaceful.  
  
They had once called this area the Ice Hills. The glaciers that came in long ago weren't known for carving into the rocky landscape into mountains and cliffs, but for the immense amount of earth they took away. The hills themselves were just the edges of the surrounding land, the valley hollowed out long ago. With its sky so large and unobstructed, the giant natural crater so large...that the entire valley amazed the eyes.  
  
She had hoped that her wild swooping that carried the Mazoku away. But Xellos was more than the usual crafty sort, it had taken him only a couple of seconds to figure out the real agenda of where the dragon was going. Its not like it was a secret anymore...   
  
A few moments after she had landed, Xellos was there right next to her, scouting the area with all the excitement of guard dog.   
  
"So...we're here. I must say you picked out a nice picnic spot." The Mazoku sniffed around, as if looking for company. Well satisfied that they were alone, he turned back to the dragon and smiled. "Did you bring a blanket and the champagne?"   
  
Filia ignored the Mazoku, too busy opening her tiny pack. She took out a small cauldron as well as a few unmarked paper bags. She set everything aside, gathering up a small stack of wood for a fire.   
  
"Let's see..." The purple priest came over, picking up the small black kettle like a curious cat. "Wow, you're making soup with this thing?" He looked into the kettle by throwing it above his head. "How about cooking up a pot of squirming--"  
  
"Give me that!" Filia tugged Xellos' new toy away from the Mazoku. "I can't believe you breathed into my kettle! I'm going to have to disinfect it!" scolded the dragon, expediently running to a stream to fill it with water.   
  
The Mazoku was easily amused, hoping among the other bags of stuff that the dragon had set aside. "I see you brought other ingredients," he added, lifting some pretty herbs out of one of the paper bags. "So when's dinner!"  
  
"Nagomi!" She snatched the ingredients out of the Mazoku's hands, putting them behind her back "Stupid, no good for nothing..." she hissed. "Don't you have some 'errand' to do besides bother me?"   
  
"Yare, yare." Xellos turned his back on the blond dragon, preferring to step carefully around the edge of the cliff. "Oh, that's not so pretty."  
  
Filia used a tent of sticks to balance the water filled cauldron over the fire. It tipped ever so gently, spilling a couple of drops over the side and into the fire. She coughed for a second, then took the bags of ingredients and dumped them unceremoniously into the water.  
  
"That does not look like soup," said Xellos, looking down at his reflection in the kettle's water.   
  
"No, is it NOT SOUP!"  
  
"I guess that's right. So you're not going with the fire trap or ice freezing spell. I would that thought that the wind of-"  
  
"Nope, none of those." Filia was busy chopping little piece of ginger, letting the cuttings drop from her hands and into the black kettle.   
  
The Mazoku grinned. "Well, I suppose you're going to need a lot more than this."  
  
Filia looked up and stared at the Mazoku. "I'm just diverting them off. You know that better than anyone, don't you?"  
  
Xellos rolled his eyes. "I'm not the one being blackmailed."  
  
"Be...quiet."   
  
The Mazoku blinked. He crooked his neck to the side, as if picking up a scent out of the air. "Oh well, it seems I'm needed somewhere else. Don't mind me, I was just-"  
  
"Leaving. Yea, I know." Filia stirred the mixture, her soup had turned from clear beautiful water into a mix of brown smelly sludge.   
  
Xellos shrugged his heads, looking up into the sky. The Cloudminders were almost here. Another day, maybe less. The passage of time that they had been away was almost the lifetime of a human. And for the Mazoku, their chance would appear once again...  
  
Filia sighed, noticing that the Mazoku was gone. Behind her, the black cauldron glowed a peaceful tone of yellow, as if ready and awaiting the next step.   
  
The dragon knelt by the edge of the fire, chanting her dragon spell. The liquid in the kettle boiled away, enveloping the evening sky in a cloud of white smoke.  
  
As if cued, the kettle, the water, the smoke, all began to glow yellow, illuminating the sky high above her head...  
  
The spell...so draining... The golden dragon, intoxicated by her own fumes, could no longer resist the powerful pull of its magic. Resting her head to the side of her pack, she hoped that a little nap would help her reorganize her thoughts. She surely hoped that this would be enough.  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
The shrine maiden stepped up on top of a small pile of rocks, looking for a second while she took her bearing. "Lina? Where are you?"  
  
Lina lowered her levitation spell until she was just a couple of feet off the ground. She had Aermark's journal open in her hands and she was using the map at the same time.   
  
"You sure we're on the right track?" asked Sylphiel.  
  
"It says so right here..." said the sorcerer. She unfolded one panel of the map page that let more panels unfold out like an accordion. So lengthy was the map that the end of touched the ground.  
  
"Oh, Lina..." The shrine maiden leaned down, helping the sorcerer put back the map. She couldn't help noticing how far the Ice Fields were from their own location. "Its almost dusk."  
  
The afternoon crickets were busy commencing their late afternoon song in the bushes around the two ladies. Before long, it would night.  
  
Lina saw the grave look in Sylphiel eyes. "Yea, traveling all night is going to suck."  
  
"You've got to be kidding..."  
  
"I know, I don't like walking in the dark either." She slapped the book closed, annoyed with herself. "But we lost quite a few days back at the Sheik's city."  
  
The shrine maiden sighed. "Yea, and I bet Zelgadis and the other are already waiting for us at the Ice Hills, wondering where we are..."   
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
A hangover. That's how Zel described it, lifting his heavy head off the decking.   
  
If it wasn't the sound of chirping that awoke him from his terrible slumber, but the heat of the full sun above his head. He looked up into the cloudless sky, surprised to see a large wing-spanned bird flying above the ship, its id unknown as it circled around the outline of the sun.   
  
Sharp pains in the chimera's forehead reminded him not to stir too quickly. He wanted to get up from his knees and see if there was any sign of civilization. He surmised the white blast of energy had given their little ship a kick in the pants. He wouldn't had been surprised if they were grounded on some shore--  
  
But there was no lull.   
  
Impossible! The water couldn't be this still.  
  
He crawled up to look over into the ocean, his eyes wide. They certainly were in a different blue sea of the air, one much more calm that any body of water. For they were flying high in the air...over the lands of desert and scrub. In the sky...   
  
Zel looked over to the humming controls of the airship. The hilt of the chaos sword was lit up like a torch, glowing of chaos energy. Like a purring cat, everything seemed normal.   
  
"Not again..." he muttered before lowering himself back onto the floor. "Why couldn't we just have walked?"  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
And the day was here.  
  
He stood tall on the top of a hill; far above the fields from where Filia was sleeping.   
  
A stranger to none yet a stranger to the world, he would be instantly recognizable to almost anyone...and never seen by any of them.  
  
He was here because of history. Many times before he wished for the curse of Philbrizzo to be over... But no, they were still here even with the Mazoku Lord long gone... Philbrezzo's mess, he called it. The Cloudminders.  
  
Over time, he had hid from the rest of the world like a self-inflicted scar. He knew from within his own mind, he was partly the blame of the Cloudminders. They had never been properly taken cared of, no matter how much had been told before. So what if they swore to eliminating them. It had never meant squat...  
  
The Mazoku were never able to get their prize.   
  
It was never the Cloudminders themselves...but their weapons of power, of destiny which threatened everything. Such energies were never to be wielded...but there it was, the proof in their hands.   
  
He saw the Cloudminder's chaos boxes, glowing and igniting. Their chaos was a curse he absolutely feared. Such was the way they used their powers...  
  
He tightly clenched his sword, throwing it in the nearby sand. He preferred it to be buried, just like his secrets.  
  
There, he said to himself as he watched the sky change one last time. For behind the hidden curtain, they appeared. The Cloudminders. And thus he swore again that no one was to interfere with them.   
  
No matter the cost.  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Morning breeze hit the dragon's face as she stirred from her state of slumber. She let her blondness cover her face if only for a minute as her hair grazed her cheek, tickling her awake. It was like everything was perfect.  
  
How long? As she tuned her head towards the remains of the fire, she saw a few glowing ambers around her empty blackened kettle, immediately telling her that it had been all night. The spell had taken all night to form and mold, its power becoming transparent among the morning light in the sky.   
  
It...was done.  
  
She picked up a nearby stick and poked the ambers of the fire out, letting little red sparks fade into the sullen earth. They reminded her of eyes that she had seen only a day ago, from a figure she knew quite well. Fire in those eyes...   
  
Her stranger. A sign that he was watching over her. And a memory of the day before, high in Maximilian's tower...  
  
"I see that I scared that Mazoku whipping boy away," said the stranger, referring to Xellos. "No matter," continued his deep voice.   
  
Filia took her new visitor in, shaking her head in frustration. "Go away! I don't take orders from you!"  
  
"Yes, you do. And you have no choice. Because up to now, little Valgaav has been such a nice companion for me. I can't remember the last time I carried such a little one around with me. He's been...quite delightful! And I would hate--just hate..."  
  
"You!" The blond shot her visitor a horrified look. "And you've been talking to him!"  
  
"Just phrases. Little meanings. Not much he can understand...except an occasional phrase or two."   
  
Filia gritted her teach, the emotions tearing at her insides. "How dare you..."  
  
Her visitor came closer, reaching out with his hand. He grasped Filia by her chin, in the same way Xellos had a few days before. "Tell me, do you know what happened with the Cloudminders so many years ago?"   
  
"No..." shot back the nervous dragon, her emotions drained away. "No..."  
  
"I've told you already, yet you refuse to listen..."  
  
She tried to run away, but alas the stranger's grip was tight like a noose around her neck. She could not even budge--  
  
No...choice.   
  
No...fate.  
  
"...I will...!"  
  
Filia ended her flashback, coughing at the deadened fire pit in front of her. Her orders...her trials... Was this what she had imagined?  
  
She shook her head, moving on with her task. Taking a couple of leaf branches, Filia meretriciously covered the signs of the fire as carefully as she could like no one had ever been there.  
  
She took a second look out at the shallow valley of trees in front of her. The tall pine forest seemed in line the plains in front of her. In a few places, untouched snow melted peacefully. The land was perfect -- totally devoid of anything that seemed out of place. Even the Ice Hills that made the bowl of the valley were...gone. More like tiny bumps around the encircling of forest for only Filia could pick them out so carefully if she tried.  
  
And she raised her eyes to look up at the sky...  
  
The illusion...was perfect.  
  
She held the weight of history. The sacrifices that every clan member had made before her. Their actions rested on her shoulders now, no matter what. For a moment, she understood why...they had done what had to be done. And her own sacrifice as well...  
  
Complete and satisfied, she turned around to escape before anyone else saw her here. She looked up into the sky again--  
  
A dot?  
  
What was that speck on her illusion?   
  
A ship...but not just any ship, but a floating ship. Its sleek lines dug perfectly into her invisible shield. Stuck like a fly on her web, it acted like a beacon for anyone within miles around. She squinted her eyes a bit more carefully, trying to make out the figure that was standing on the top of the deck...  
  
Her heart was crushed.  
  
The dragon cursed.   
  
Even she wasn't immune to it.  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Amelia groaned. "I can't believe Lina is going to be where the City of the Clouds is to appear before us! I'm so upset!"  
  
The chimera turned around from his hunkered position over the controls of the ship, still trying to figure out why they were flying. "I don't think that will be a problem in our condition. Now, whether we get..." The chimera stared blandly at the swordsman, who had just come up form the little ship's cabin.  
  
"Any luck getting into that front compartment?"  
  
Gourry shook his head. "Something has that door locked from the inside. I couldn't budge it for one second."  
  
The chimera frowned. He desperately wanted to take sword to the inner metallic door, but he wasn't sure if he would have any better luck.   
  
"What about me swinging up to the front of the ship on a line," exclaimed the princess. "Come on, I could fly over the railing and..."  
  
Zelgadis looked quite disturbed. "Have you seen what it's like overboard?" He pointed to the spot over the side of the deck past a cloud moving on their same course. "What would happen if I you were on the other side?"  
  
Amelia moaned. "Ummm...I'd fall? And you'd come and catch me?"  
  
The chimera tapped his foot. His rock foot. "Yea...right."  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Thoth woke up with the nastiest of headaches. He tried to reason with past memories, now a blank slate from the night before. He remembered how they had been lucky to escape the blast, but where...they ended up from the swift kick in the pants...oh well...   
  
He yawned, watching his bumbling companion lean his nose against the porthole window. The fool was so intent on the action that he disgustingly moistened up the glass with his breath.  
  
"What's going on?" Thoth was an old man, for it took him a good minute to shake the cobwebs away.  
  
"I...don't think were on land anymore," said Biru, his eyes budging out. "In fact..."  
  
"What do you mean?" Thoth scrambled up, pushing the innkeeper away from the window. He was just in time to see a bird sail in the wind right next to a floating cloud. "For once, baka, you're right."  
  
He turned away, his eyes starting to tear. Past lives bubbled from nowhere, of flying among the clouds. He hadn't sailed among the sky for a long, long time. It only made him wish that he was home.  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
"I told you we're not moving!" chanted Amelia, standing on one of the crossbeams of the floating ship. She did a little thumbs up with her hand before hopping down onto the main deck.  
  
Zelgadis muttered at the clear blue sky, wondering what was causing this latest mystery. They had been drifting with the same pace as the other clouds, but then suddenly their companion cloud...was gone.  
  
"Something's keeping us up here...instead how we were moving before."  
  
"Maybe we're just stuck? Like there's this giant hand hold us up." Gourry scratched his head, making a little up motion with his hands. "He's got us!"  
  
"That's crazy," replied the chimera. But as soon as he said the word, something snapped in his mind. If they were stuck, then, why weren't there...   
  
"But...." pointed Zelgadis. "That might be the case..."  
  
"You mean...Gourry knows something that we're missing?" said Amelia.  
  
"Not exactly, but close." Zel swept his hand wide as if telling a fish story. "Don't you see... they're missing. They were here; I remember watching the bow of the ship float above one just a minute ago."  
  
"I don't get it." Amelia was clearly puzzled.   
  
"The clouds." The chimera picked up a stray piece of wood from the deck. "Let's see if I'm right," he said, throwing an arching snowball shot over the bow of the ship.   
  
As Zel's toss peaked and started its descent the ground, it abruptly bounced as if on hit by an invisible paddle.  
  
"Well, I'll be..."   
  
The three of them watched the scrap piece of wood finally settle on its bouncing invisible surface, then slide right past them along the side of the ship, accelerating out of sight...  
  
"Where's its going?" asked the blond swordsman.  
  
Amelia sweat dropped. "And...why aren't we doing that?  
  
"I don't know," said the chimera. "But I don't think it would be a good idea to get off."  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Xelas had already determined this was going to be a bad day.   
  
Her minions didn't show up for their morning appointed duties. Cleaning up her tent. Manning her fan. And most of all...giving her a manicure.  
  
The fools would pay, thought the Mazoku lord. So they had been a little frightened by all her strange visitor... Tough! She made them so she could break them. The little minions would have to pay dearly for disobeying their master, their loyalty already stretched thin...  
  
Xelas leaned back in her lounge chair, examining her fingernails. They needed a recoat and polishing only after a couple of days. How she hated to train the new ones in taking care of her needs. Maybe if she took a human's life, instead of a Mazoku, perhaps one that had worked at a beauty salon. That was the ticket.  
  
Bored, she took out a cigarette, placed it into her holder and lit it.   
  
Her very human enjoyment that she took pleasure in...was suddenly interrupted. She frowned at the sound of angry footsteps preceding the grandiose entrance of one of her Mazoku. Whoever it was, knew it was the wrong day and the wrong time to be messing around with her.   
  
Joe. So the baka as come home to roost. The fool was certainly the opportunistic sort; either he was mad or a nut. She was surprised that he had survived all this time while his cousin-in-arms had whittled their punitive existence to an end at the expense of Lina and her friends.   
  
In the last week or so, ever since her visit to Monte Darlo, her powers of persuasion over Joe had become more than temporary strained. She could no longer call on his presence; his appearances had suddenly stopped. True, he was busy in the field doing her wishes, but still...something was up. Betrayal was a common theme among stronger Mazoku, so she figured maybe...someone else had bought Joe under their wings. Even Dolphin her friend was suspiciously out of touch. Figures.   
  
All the more reason why she was surprised to see the disfigured shape of Joe on her doorstep. She tried feeling more to his presence other than a simple aura check. Something very powerful was blocking her inquiry; whether it was her...or him, she couldn't be sure. What it was, however, quite strong--  
  
  
  
"I've come back, pretty master..." As he made steps, Joe would chant a little line or two all while steadying his broken body with his quarterstaff.   
  
There was terrible weakness that Xelas could immediately identify. "So you come back home to roost. Don't expect a cup a tea from me."   
  
  
  
She saw his disfigurement, the shoulder all split open, still oozing energy like a wound that could never heal. A part of Joe had been cut away and he had not had the time to properly repair himself. She knew he was careless, but this was unforgivable. She saw the light and the dark, the hate and detest. And a secret that her subordinate had hidden for so long, coming to light-   
  
"It was like you were at the end of all and everything." The lord was mightily annoyed. "You can't play both sides of a coin."   
  
"Fix me, damn it." Joe needlessly dropped his quarterstaff, letting it rattle helplessly onto the ground. "That bitch split me open with the chaos blade. Stupid Cloudminders legacy, it screwed with my-"  
  
Xelas stepped out of her lounge chair, walking sternly up to the fellow Mazoku. "Betrayer."  
  
"You know why, master. Now more than ever, my uniqueness passes what you made me--"  
  
"A disgrace, you mean. Better to let you die than fix your bleeding energies." She took her almost done cigarette in holder and stuck its lit end squarely into Joe's wounded shoulder. The Mazoku didn't even flinch as Xelas twisted her cigarette some more for good measure.   
  
"Like it matters..." paused Joe, "that I would ever think of taking orders from you." His eyes shifted, from desperation to opportunity. "I'll take your energies and drain your ass, for my master will hear of your treachery--"  
  
They grabbed each other by the throat, with Xelas getting the upper hand. She heaved Joe's weakened existence up high into the air and shook her former subordinate. She wanted to destroy him, for even in his sorry condition--  
  
Joe reached for his neck, gagging on a set of words. Unrecognizable choking sounds were coming from his throat -- at first he thought because of Xelas and her applied pressure.   
  
But it made him look down towards his neither region. And he recognized the real threat was the edge of a sword, swung from down under right between his legs.  
  
A darkened and familiar shape took form behind the traitorous Mazoku. "Really...now..."  
  
Joe reached out with his arms, trying to ensnare Xelas' energies in his falling grasp. His body was having a hard time obeying his mental orders as sword blade tore into his flesh.   
  
"I am not pleased..."  
  
"But...master... I was just gathering--"  
  
The large figure twisted his sword into the gut of Joe, just enough for the Mazoku to swallow on his words. "You've failed, simpleton. Never try overplay your hand when I already know the score."  
  
Xelas stepped back from the danger, watching the figure of Joe slide off her visitor's blade. What was solid became liquid, as if the Mazoku could no longer hold its form.   
  
The image of Joe flowed like paints coming out of a canvas. There was no scream, no resistance. What was left of his mass was nothing more than a couple cloth scraps of floating on a pit of bubbling tar.  
  
"If you think I'm going to thank you, then you have no idea," said the greater beast Xelas. A stranger he was not.  
  
The visitor looked up at Xelas, the fire and anger lit in his eyes. "Come here, former partner..."  
  
Xelas took a step back. "...You can't be serious..."  
  
The deep-voice stranger grinned. "Oh, am I? Intermission has passed, my Mazoku lord. In fact, we're well on our way into the second act."  
  
Her eyes caught sight of cold steel leaning on her waist. Just like Joe, the stranger's intensity over her was something that she most definitely wished to avoid.  
  
"Here, let me put this here..." From a hidden place around his waist, the stranger placed the large dragon's egg on Xelas' chair. "And I came with breakfast."  
  
Her eyes glared. "Get that dragon's abomination out of here!" she swore.   
  
"Come now." The stranger came up and took her own hands from her side, bringing them up to his own. For leaning on her waist was the flat of his blade. "Does Shabby have your tongue?"  
  
Xelas leaned forward just a bit, the stranger's sword run against her skin. The blade was so sharp that it ran through her flesh like a hot knife through butter; leaving no sign of imperfections. She squealed in hatred by licking her plush lips, admiring her pain up close as if it were her calling.  
  
"Then obey, lord Mazoku...." beamed the stranger. "Where is Xellos! Call him, now!"  
  
Xelas flashed her eyes open, throwing the sword blade aside in a fistful of hate. "I will...resist." But as her words said one thing, her eyes gave away something else. She was awestruck by the opportunity as it took all of her willpower to throw the occasion aside. "You will...not succeed..."  
  
The stranger turned livid, slamming fist into the body of Xelas, throwing her backwards aside like a rag towel. She smacked her chair and fell though it tissue paper.  
  
"Lady Beast. You and your minions have failed. I'm taking over." His anger continued, smashing a nearby chair with the twist of his arm.   
  
Xelas looked up from behind a broken table, her lower lip cut and bleeding energy. "You...can't be serious..."  
  
"Time to play..." whispered the stranger, "one last time..." And he raised his sword to strike another blow-  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Minutes before, the purple-haired priest had arrived. Instead of entering, he hung his body close to the entrance, trying to get a better look into the tent. He had sensed the ever passing trouble from Xelas before, yet she rarely told him anything except orders. Every now and then, she'd drop a hint or two about hanging with her fellow lord Dolphin, but even that news was sparse at best. So instead, he kept his nose ever so slightly into her affairs...  
  
He was surprised to see that his little friend Joe scampering among the outside bushes. He was definitely distracted with something on his mind as he entered Xelas' tent.  
  
Jumping to the other side, he switched his angle to look in from the other side. "Ahhh, so rejected. A tragedy. What a shame. "   
  
A light, a cry, and then silence.   
  
And the Mazoku smiled, rubbing the top of his staff in sheer delight at Joe's rather hasty demise. "I see. And our last player has finally joined in."   
  
He didn't have to look anymore, turning his back to his master's problems. "After all, a show must go on..."  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
"Oh Sylphiel...where are you..."   
  
Behind Lina, the shrine maiden was panting so hard that she nearly toppled over in a fit of exhaustion. So much for easy travel, she thought. Where in the world did the sorcerer get all this excess energy?  
  
"Sylphiel..."  
  
So far, their overnight trip that had started in desert had taken them deeper and deeper into the forest. Each time the path climbed over a hill, the woods thickened around them little by little. Soon, the woods were so thick with branches that it shadowed out the moon, leaving their path totally dark save for Lina's magical light spell.  
  
  
  
They continued their ascent as thick woods suddenly thinned out to nothing more than a small brush, for they had reached the tree line. The weather had turned slightly chilly, the wind increasing against their skin...   
  
It felt like the Ice Hills were already here.  
  
The sorcerer was waiting up the path all while leaning against large boulder. "Come on...we haven't much time..."  
  
So impatient, thought the shrine maiden. Taking a minute to catch her breath again, she looked up in between a couple of threadbare bushes, spotting a speck of black in the sky.  
  
"Lina! You see it up there?" said Sylphiel, pointing over the sorcerer's shoulder.  
  
The sorcerer blinked, turning her head around lazily. "Hai, I see it! That's got to be...something!"  
  
They were off in a dash.  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
The sorcerer ran up the side of the ridge, not even noticing the significance of what she was climbing. If she had noticed, then Lina would have seen that she was ascending the outside of a giant crater, the fabled outer edges of the Ice Hills.  
  
"Wait up..." screamed the shrine maiden. She was flying fast behind the sorcerer, trying to keep up as best as she could verses the running Lina.  
  
At last, the sorcerer made it up to a top ridge where the mountains lowered themselves on either side. Carved by water once ago was the passage to the interior. The fierce winds drove the sorcerer closer and closer to the ground, until she finally had to walk grudgingly at half of her speed.   
  
"We're here," said Lina, her teeth chattering while she stood on top of a ice-entrusted path.  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"Cause' I'm freezing! This has to be the Ice Hills."  
  
They continued on into the passage, passing the exposed and newly carved rocks. Frozen icicles hugged the rugged cliffs of the passage, dripping water that formed puddles where Lina had stepped. It felt refreshing that something from the other side of the mountain was blowing warm air by them. As the air grew warmer still, the two of them spotted spring flowers among the ice-lined cliff sides.  
  
"It's so beautiful..." paused the shrine maiden.  
  
"I know..." paused Lina, stepping around a couple of forming streams among the rocks.   
  
Their passage ended as they finally climbed over a small ring of rock, reaching--  
  
They stopped.  
  
The two of them overlooked a valley of green, so lush that the grass grew perfectly like a silken carpet. Around the ice-capped hills were trees that seemed like they had been perfectly planted and placed. So natural was the land that it was like a god had come in and scooped the land away...so symmetrical that it was blessed as perfect in Sylphiel's eyes.  
  
"It...can't be..." whispered Lina.  
  
The valley; the place; the setting...for her dreams. This was the land, of perfection, of...  
  
The visions was of her standing here, basking among the sun's rays. A light, followed by the wave of blue-green energy coming towards her, wiping out all of existence-  
  
But...no City of the Clouds. Only the speck-  
  
"Where is it?"  
  
"You mean?" asked Sylphiel, as she too pointed up at the speck in the sky. "Its defiantly a small ship...but how would something like that get so high."  
  
"I was expecting something--bigger."  
  
Sylphiel nodded. "Didn't Zelgadis mention something about an airship when they overshot the Sheik's city?"  
  
"Yea, it could be them-"   
  
*SMACK*  
  
Lina struck her head into something...that was not there! She reached out instinctively and felt the presence before touching it.   
  
A...shield? All the way out here?   
  
"Wait a second..." she said, holding her friend back from smacking the barrier.   
  
"What is it, Lina?"  
  
Lina looked forward. The scattering of trees were perfectly laced with tiny amounts the snow, its accumulation would surely melt by noon. "Maybe... "  
  
She reached out again and felt the barrier ping and reverb against her touch, like a bell at midnight. But...whatever it was, was invisible. "Exactly...its too perfect." She reached for a way around it, first with a step of her feet, then with a walk -- It was like someone had built an impassable wall that prevented them from coming underneath the ship.   
  
  
  
"Find something?" asked Sylphiel, pointing the land and sky in front of them.   
  
"Hmm...." said the sorcerer, pressing forward with her hands. The sorcerer was absolutely enthralled by the shield as she ran down the length of the shield.   
  
She stopped quite a few yards away and pressed inward, discovering the spherical nature of their invisible wall. "Ah-hah! I knew it! Its time to crack this baby open and I know..."  
  
Sylphiel grabbed the sorcerer's arms by the wrist, tugging them down before the chanting of Lina unworldly spell. "What are you thinking of doing! If you take the shield down-"   
  
Lina stopped on a dime, looking up at the airship at the same time. "Hmmm, I think you're right." She suddenly grinned. "So how about a little flight up then?"  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Zelgadis muttered as he watched another piece of wood disappear as it slipped along on the invisible shield. Sliding off the shield was equivalent to dropping a brick off the ship with absolutely no parachute. Be damned if he was going to ask Amelia to help him down.   
  
He cursed again, wondering if there was anything of use below decks. So far, Gourry and Amelia's searching had turned up nothing use. So far, no luck.  
  
"Are you still trying to get into that inner front compartment?' hollered the chimera. His voice was starting to strain, making his throat get tighter and tighter.   
  
"We're trying. Gourry's using his head-"  
  
Zel frowned. How was the swordsman thinking of way to break down the door? Possibility by using his sword against the tight interior hinges? Or as a lever against the door's hinges?  
  
"OWWW!"   
  
"Not so hard, Gourry! I don't have enough energy to heal you!"  
  
Zel muttered something more, this time a little more unintelligible. Damn, if only he were his normal chimera self! He would have easily crashed through the door, his old body perfect for breaking and slamming down wooden doors. Now he would be lucky to keep his only arm attached.  
  
Alas, even with Em's earlier help the day before, the drain of energy on his body was getting worse and worse. He could literally feel the energy sap away as his body turned to rock. He'd be lucky if waking up the next morning were an option.  
  
  
  
"So, care for a lift?"   
  
The chimera turned around on a dime. "Lina! What...in the world?" He instinctively scratched at his eyes, trying to break the illusion. "Is that really you?"  
  
"The one and only." The happy sorcerer softly landed on top of the bow decking on the roof area to the steps below deck. She blinked at the chimera as she took in his new look. "I see you've been to a spa."  
  
Zelgadis growled. "You know damn well what's happening to me."   
  
The redhead nodded, stepping closer. "Yea, I know. Thought a little encouragement might help, especially if-"  
  
"LIIIINNNAAA!" The swordsman moved like lightning, shooting out of the lower cabin and hopping onto the deck. "I'm so-"  
  
"EEEEP!" The sorcerer didn't have a chance, falling over because of the blond swordsman's gigantic hug.  
  
"Awwwe, that is so sweet," commented Sylphiel, landing next to Zelgadis.  
  
"Sylphiel!" screamed a charging Amelia, her arms encircling the sweat dropping purple shrine maiden. "Thank the gods!"  
  
"EEEEP!" And the girls were two for two on welcome glomps.  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Biru creaked open the cabin door, just enough for a good view up the stairs to the above deck. "Ah crap! That infidel is here!"  
  
"Close the door!" shouted the old man, shrugging off his billowing headache. Thoth was so tired of the whole thing that he didn't want to deal with it anymore. Another couple of minutes, and that bumbling swordsman would have figured out how the break down the door.  
  
"But I'm telling you!" interrupted Biru. "That annoying one who blew up that giant bridge is on deck!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"That wretch queen of destruction. The redhead who deserves to eat nothing but peasant food-"  
  
"You're kidding!" Thoth raced up to his feet, pushing the bumbling Biru out of the way. He opened the door a little bit more, just able enough to see Lina's red hair and eavesdrop on her conversation.  
  
Biru smirked as he walked away from Thoth. That sorcerer was not going to make a fool of him! No sir!   
  
The innkeeper took no time to argue with himself, as he stepped up on one of the old steamer trunks scattered around the room. Looking up, he reached for the ceiling hatch, the one they had fallen through before...  
  
"Got it!"   
  
"Pipe down-" chimed the old man, trying to listen as best as he could.  
  
Biru didn't listen, the escape route already planned out in his mind. Even if the old man had the authority over his inn, he had considerably tired of his company. So what if the innkeeper commission punished him? So...what!  
  
The innkeeper strained himself again to reach though the top hatch of the cabin, carefully not making a sound. With a final heave, he pushed his rotund body to the deck above. Good riddance...  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Thoth had a corner of his eye on the window and the land below. The mountains were as familiar as his own skin, yet the land below was...snow-covered? How could that be--  
  
What was she doing here! How had the timing for everything fallen apart! There was no way that she could have made it-  
  
Thoth tried to remember. Long ago, when he flew among the clouds. Yet, he did remember the chaos box, so large yet so delicate in his hand. Like a soap bubble--  
  
He heard something above his head, turning his head back around. Biru! What a fool he had been for not watching the coward, he muttered, all while spotting the open ceiling hatch to sky. What good would happen if he fell off the side of the stopped ship...  
  
Still...the baka would be the perfect distraction.   
  
And they were stopped....   
  
He smiled inside, the memories catching up with him. "Here...there be dragons. How they repeat the past. Those traitors."   
  
Reaching carefully among his robes, he grasped his hands around it. The chaos wand in his hand...was a box of his own pleasure, perfectly sized for traveling but necessary for these types of incidents. Still, he needed the blade to make his mission complete. His time here had to be quick.   
  
...As he reached out with his hand and pushed the cabin door open--   
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
"And what else happened when you where there, Lina?" asked the swordsman, looking at the redhead in more of a staring fashion.  
  
Lina sweat dropped. "Cut that out!" slapped the sorcerer, not liking that her protector was looking at her like a piece of meat. "Fruit for brains, you should really try not to worry about me so much--"  
  
Gourry nodded. "Oh...But Lina..." His face turned as sour as a lime.  
  
The sorcerer folded in, if only for a second, her tone turning serious. "Uhh...Gourry..."  
  
The blond swordsman scratched the back of his neck. "Yes?"  
  
"Don't glomp me like that! I'm not that kind of girl!" deadpanned the redhead.  
  
"Oh..." motioned the blond. "But I missed you! After all, it's been five days since I've seen you. We've been hunted down by winged creatures, giant crabs, and stingrays."  
  
Lina jaw lowered like a drawbridge. "All that food without bringing me some! You have some nerve!"  
  
Gourry slumped, retreating like a fallen hero with his back to Lina. As he passed by the chimera, Zel slapped him in the back. "Quite OK there. After all, no one is perfect."  
  
"Hai--"  
  
"Now, where was I," said Lina.  
  
"Don't move!" shouted a voice, standing on the bottom stair of the steps down to the galley. Even though the shadow's hid Thoth's face, there was plenty of light to illuminate the miniature chaos box in his hands.  
  
"Who's that?" said Zelgadis, his ears perked up from the familiar voice. "Where are you.."  
  
"Everyone, watch out," pointed Lina at the stranger. "I've seen chaos boxes that small before," chimed Lina, her voice steeped in anger. "And believe me, they are plenty dangerous."  
  
"Oh really?" answered back the chimera. "I've seen some fake ones as well."  
  
"Believe me, I don't want to do this if I didn't have to." The old man stepped up a couple of more steps into the light, just enough for his face to come out of the shadows.  
  
"Thoth!" shouted Amelia, sniffling at the same time. "You're...alive!"  
  
"Why you dirty old-" Lina took a couple of steps forward, but her mind caught up with her instinctive actions. The baka of an old man was purposely showing off a chaos box to see, to everyone that knew well of its secrets. Such was a very dangerous matter--  
  
Or maybe he was really just being a fool.  
  
"Wait a sec..." she signaled to the rest of her friends before turning back to the old man. The men of the group took positions over Amelia and Sylphiel, but both of the girls squirmed around Zel and Gourry to get a better look.  
  
Lina looked at the chaos box as she could feel a tiny bit of her energy flowing away...across the deck...to general area folded within Thoth's hands. There...she knew, a chaos box resided, its chaos dormant like a flickering flame.  
  
"OK Thoth, or whoever you are," said the redhead, pausing after her words. "You've got our attention."   
  
"I'm so glad." Thoth had turned around, content to stare over the bow of the ship as if waiting for the next shoe to drop. "Come on out, Biru! I know you're hiding up there!"  
  
The group sweat dropped.   
  
Zelgadis was first to point out the oblivious. "You knew that idiot was here!"  
  
"Shhh-" whispered the old man.  
  
The innkeeper's head popped out from behind one of the railings. "Thoth? I didn't mean to-"  
  
"Never mind that!" ordered the old man as he turned back around. "Go down there and take out the chaos blade!"  
  
Zelgadis growled. "What do you think you're doing, old man. Don't think of trifling with secrets you know nothing about."  
  
Thoth blinked, a sudden intelligence behind his actions. "I'm sorry, but I can't afford for all of you to get involved." He stepped closer to the chimera and stared at his body, for the first time taking a good look. "You've been using the chaos boxes to heal yourself, haven't you? Which is pretty much a death wish, don't you think?"  
  
Sylphiel gasped. "Zel!"  
  
The chimera nodded. "And why does that matter to you?"  
  
The old man looked up into the chimera's eyes. "Because you've already been too close to the chaos, my friend. Em has drifted you far too over. A shame her personal sacrifice was in vain."  
  
Zel's gritted his teeth. "You...!"   
  
"Now wait a minute-" interrupted Lina. "You can't--"  
  
"Now...now..." Thoth tipped the miniature chaos box in his hand a little farther forward, which quickly cut off the sorcerer. "That's much better." With Biru with in tow, Thoth escorted himself towards the control panel of the flying airship.   
  
The old man's eyes immediately fell upon the embedded hilt of the chaos blade. "Well...well, I haven't seen you in quite a while, dear old friend..."  
  
The chaos blade glowed an ugly shade of red, filling the air with the scent of power--  
  
"Lina!" shouted Amelia. "Do something!"  
  
The sorcerer looked over at Thoth and Biru as they picked at the ship's control panel, trying to figure out how to release the sword. "Are you kidding me? That fool knows how to use that thing! One well-placed zap and its goodbye to me."  
  
And then, she remembered.  
  
The sorcerer hopped a couple of times towards the two hostage takers, getting the innkeeper's attention.   
  
Biru turned around and looked at the sorcerer, who falsely returned on a little grin. "Sorry, it was a little slippery on the deck..."  
  
"Get back!" yelled the innkeeper before being called back by Thoth.  
  
Lina hopped a couple of more times until she was next to the swordsman. "Gourry!"  
  
The blond was frozen as a glacier. "What..." he clenched through his teeth.  
  
"Would you relax!" chimed Lina.  
  
The blond swordsman sweat dropped. "What! They told me to freeze -- you said to listen to them!"  
  
  
  
She gave her protector an ugly stare. "Hello! Jellyfish for brains! I didn't mean act exactly like that."  
  
"Oh." Gourry seemed to relax a little more. "Then...can I scratch myself?"  
  
Lina gave him a little stare. "Gourry...what do they have?"  
  
"A chaos box," answered the blond. "And I've seen it. They're really dangerous, you should have seen it when I threw one."  
  
"Yea, that's because boxes don't effect you."  
  
Gourry frowned. "Yea, it kind of sucks. I've got no magic powers that they can suck up and use against me."  
  
"Well..." Lina pushed him lovingly towards their captors. "Go get them then!"  
  
"Ahhh..." The blond swordsman stumbled forward, a little off balance from Lina's push. With a little yelp that scared the wits out of everyone, Gourry still managed to take out his sword and do a full charge.   
  
And trip, right into the innkeeper.   
  
"Egads!" The balding man squealed like a pig, falling flat onto the decking.   
  
"Quiet, and stop playing games." Thoth's body was twisted over the controls and on the ship's railing, still trying to pull the chaos blade out with both of his hands. Apparently, he had not been able to release the blade from his physical holder, so he tried brute force from above to pull the blade out. But the old man had no strength, and was quite unsucessful.  
  
"Curses," grumbled Thoth, his feet sliding a bit as he reached around to grab a hold of the ship railing. "Biru! Help!"  
  
"Get them!" shouted the chimera, cheering the swordsman on.  
  
Thoth looked up for a second, seeing the inept Biru squirming around on deck like an upside-down turtle with the blond swordsman finally getting free. He took a half step backwards, not realizing that he was about to lean on weakened railing that suddenly gave way--  
  
"Aeeeeiiii!" The old man fell off the ship, landing a few feet below on the invisible shield. He immediately ran against the pitch of the invisible shield, as his startled moments caused him to slide off towards the ground.   
  
"Help!"  
  
"We've got to fly!" bleated Sylphiel, racing across the deck.  
  
"Wait a minute-" cut off the chimera. "You can't see the shield..."  
  
Thoth slipped off his feet, face-first into the invisible shield. His squirming movement didn't help as he started sliding faster like fallen leaf caught in the currents of the river--  
  
"No! I will...not!"  
  
And from within his hands, the miniature chaos box popped like a balloon, exploding--   
  
All that energy that had been built up over time let out into a sphere of blue-green energy. It was fire like the color of the sea; flames more pure and blue than anyone else had ever seen. But what it was it...was only fire on edges of the shield, cutting and forming a perfect circle of unmatched colors.  
  
"What is...that!" pointed Amelia.  
  
The old man looked down out rabbit hole burrowed within the invisible shield. As the portal grew in size, the group of them hushed over in silence, the portal's colors no longer conforming to the rest of the background behind it. It was if someone had punched a hole in the sky, for it had no depth whatsoever.  
  
Lina stared, swearing the old man's body was disappearing in the middle of the air right before her very eyes...   
  
And she gasped, finally recognizing the view from behind Thoth. Like the water's edge, she was finally able to spot the golden spires from her dream. And images of clouds from the tapestry they had all seen in Monte Darlo. And pictures from Filia's secret book.   
  
For beyond the invisible shield...and in Thoth's little porthole...was the glorious City of the Clouds.  
  
A popping sound. And Thoth, the portal, the images...all disappeared.  
  
"I got it!" shouted the Innkeeper, holding the chaos blade high into the air. "Yippee!"  
  
"Hey!" yelled Gourry, "That's ours!"  
  
Zel spotted the smashed the airship's control panel with Biru's butcher knife still imbedded within the center of the controls. What was left of the panel was still smoldering as well as shooting off a spark or two of lightning.   
  
"What have you done!" cursed the chimera.  
  
The ship rocked, listing suddenly as its bow turned nastily downward towards the ground. A few beams that seemed to float before crashed into the decking, causing other ropes and lines to run free.   
  
Lina and everyone scattered to grab a hold onto something, for everything else was suddenly going very crazy. "Abandon ship!"  
  
Biru dropped the chaos blade. "Oh shit!"   
  
Lina shouted out rapid-fire orders. "Amelia! Grab Biru! Sylphiel! Take Gourry!"  
  
"Wait--!" objected Gourry as Sylphiel took a hold of the blond swordsman.  
  
"Hai!" shouted the girls, picking up each other's men.  
  
"Let go of me--"  
  
The airship was accelerating down the slope of the shield, sliding off to its doom. Instead of falling like a stone, its hull splintered itself against the shield like it was being driven into a rocky shoreline. In a minute or two, there wouldn't be much left except debris.  
  
Everyone else was gone. Except for Lina...and the chimera.  
  
Zel looked up at Lina, his eyes dispassionate. "I'm not human or a chimera, but a statue of rock and dust. And there's no way you can get me down..."  
  
"Trust me..." said the sorcerer. "Don't I always have a plan?"  
  
The chimera blinked, pushing the sorcerer closer to the railing's edge. "Didn't you hear what I just said! Fly! You heard what Thoth said! I'm worth nothing! Get rid of me!"  
  
"Not yet." Lina interrupted the chimera's rant with a slight pushback into Zel's shoulder.. "Damn it Zel, you're still alive and you're going to listen to me. And whatever I said before doesn't apply to when I can save your ass-"  
  
Zelgadis didn't know what to say.  
  
"Now grab hold of my waist and stay on!" She let his only dusty arm lay over her own shoulders, slightly sagging because of the heavy stone weight. "You're not dying on my shift, not just yet--"  
  
He grudgingly obeyed the sorcerer as Lina lashed themselves together, the chimera tied like a knapsack to her back. "Like this is going to help..." He cringed, watched the ship's deck beginning to give way.  
  
"Watch me..."   
  
And...Lina chanted.  
  
"....a freezing black blade of darkness…Be my power, be my arm..."  
  
Zel let out a string of curses. Oh lord. "What...are you thinking..."  
  
"...together we walk on the path of destruction..."  
  
"RAGNA BLADE!"  
  
The chimera's eyes watched the spell of light and darkness ignite, the brightness of chaos overwhelming-   
  
But he didn't have a chance--  
  
"AAAAggggh!"   
  
Lina leaped-  
  
-with Zel still attached.  
  
They leaped over the airship's railing and towards the sky. As far as she could reach, the sorcerer thrust her Ragna Blade forward and downward, plunging its tip into the invisible shield. It split though the shield, throwing themselves up against the invisible barrier like a hilt.  
  
Behind them, the airship's hull gave way, shattering against the artificial boundary. As the debris fell away; the sorcerer held against her cosmic blade for dear life.   
  
"Heh...I think we'll be--"  
  
With the chimera as the heaviest counterweight, it was gravity's superior strength that pushed the Ragna Blade through the invisible barrier. It started like a trickle as they fell an inch....then a foot...  
  
"Spoke too soon," pinged Lina.   
  
"I should have known -- No brakes."  
  
"Aiiighh!" It was quick as it was painful as they accelerated toward the ground. As they fell, they counted for luck to find them a soft spot among the ground. For a few feet away, fallen debris from the airship would have torn their delicate bodies apart.   
  
Indeed, their landfall would be very lucky.  
  
Beyond their heads the once powerful invisible shield of the Dragon glowed white with power. The sky turned photo- negative, as everything turned to white.  
  
But soft ground came before it was over, and with it a wave of unconsciousness.   
  
Blackness.  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Lina felt like she had awoken upon the hardest bed ever slept on. Her back was in pain as she tried to turn over, hopefully so she could straighten herself out. The moist spot in her back--  
  
"Would you mind?" asked Zel's, from behind Lina's rear end. "I know you're light and everything..."  
  
"Aaagh..." Lina let out a little shrill as she rolled over, falling beside the rocky chimera. "You're a frickin' rock, Zel." She dusted herself off after getting up from the ground, realizing that it was best to get up to her feet.  
  
"I know..." said the chimera, his body mostly buried in the mud. So heavy was he that the impact had sunken the chimera deep into the moist soil, his back buried in mud. "Lina?"  
  
But the sorcerer was distracted, just like the rest of her friends. Among perfectly white clouds, greenery of land and the blueness of water. Faded were those colors as more clouds moved away, as if raising a curtain of white.  
  
She saw the land; firm and as lush as any imaginary place could be. And upon the lands floating in the sky, was a centered castle that even outdid the kings, the Sheiks, and the dragons themselves. Shining golden spires were few but magnificent, topped with one gigantic tower that seemed to dwarf them all; its very height hiding among the blackness of the stars.   
  
And it was here.   
  
"I'll be damned."  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
The City of the Clouds. Reflected upon a dragon's tear.  
  
Filia's magnificent barrier. Only the power of the Lord of Nightmares could reveal such secrets. She had tried her hardest to do was right... and follow the orders of her master.   
  
She had done everything possible to keep the Cloudminders away from her friends.   
  
She had failed.   
  
And the world's fate--  
  
"Why...did this have to happen? Why couldn't I just be home...with Valgaav?" She reached into her pocket to pull out her handkerchief. And was surprised to find it missing, then remembering who she had lent it to just a couple of days before.  
  
"Here..." said the mysterious priest, handing the dragon her own handkerchief. "You seem to be rather upset at the moment."   
  
"Wouldn't you be upset?" She took the gift nonchalantly, dotting her eyes as she recomposed herself, then softly wiping away the moisture on her nose. "Thanks."  
  
"Oh, I should thank you instead. I couldn't believe what good use a little personal item like that has. It's such a great scent tool--"  
  
Filia's expression turned green as she dropped her handkerchief aside.   
  
"Oh, you got it dirty," commented Xellos.  
  
"They're are some things that a lady does not want to know about." Filia about to say something else when the Mazoku cut her off.  
  
"So...what now?"  
  
"I failed. What else is there to do?"  
  
"Let me show you, Little dragon. Because we don't have Valgaav, but your master's..."  
  
Her mouth was agape.   
  
"Oh dear...I do believe Lina is in need of some guidance..."  
  
"What are you doing!" screamed the dragon, but he had already stepped forward. She wanted to scream again, but instead hid back into the grasses. What was the baka going to do now!   
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
Lina stared, her eyes drawn toward the floating city. As other single clouds drifted by, the city seemed to snap them up like candy, absorbing and adding to its incredible girth. It was so absolutely unimaginable that he had to pitch herself.  
  
Xellos popped in, appearing next to the redhead like nothing had happened. "Oh, hello there. Make it down OK?"  
  
Lina gave a little frown, her eyes glued to the magical home of the Cloudminders. "Hai, we did." She turned her head back at the smiling Mazoku. "I was wondering when you going to show up."  
  
"Oh, I've been running errands and stuff. Perhaps Zel mentioned that he saw me a few days ago? Hmmm?"  
  
The very stiff form of the chimera stepped forward, interrupting the fun. Behind him, a scurrying Amelia and Sylphiel were still trying to remove bits of mud from his backside.   
  
"Yeah, we did say hello," said Zel, "Before you disappeared into thin air."  
  
Xellos smiled. "See, I was with you all..."  
  
Zelgadis pushed his luck. "Actually, I find it rather convenient that you would show up here, after what's happened to us and everything." He nodded up at the floating city. "Or perhaps, you came to entertain us along the way?"  
  
"Oh, but I did want to come by just to see your little demise..." The mysterious priest disappeared and popped up next to Zel, tapping his skin with the top of his staff. It rattled hard like solid stone. "Without your little scientist friend around anymore, you few hours at best, stone boy. A shame that you won't live to see the sun rise."  
  
The chimera growled. "Why you...!"   
  
"Zel! Wait-!"  
  
But the mysterious priest had disappeared, reappearing on the top of a rocky ledge a good twenty feet in front of the group of five. "Anyway," he announced, "I must congratulate you all on making it here. It's quite a accomplishment, I might add."   
  
"Like you care," butted Zelgadis.  
  
"Oh, I do!" Xellos turned his arms around and shifted his cape so it billowed in the wind, murmuring under his breath at the same time. "The Cloudminders. Never did I think that even I would see their city again... and on such terms, I might add."  
  
Lina's patience was quickly growing thin. Instead, she pointed her arm forward towards the floating city, as if off on a trek. "You know where we're going, Xellos. I'll get you something in the gift shop, if that's all right."  
  
She stepped forward a few feet, minding her own business as her companions also starting to lemming their way towards the floating city. All for naught, for the mysterious priest abruptly lowered the top of his quarterstaff directly into the sorcerer's path.   
  
The redhead arched up a lazy eyebrow. "And what do you think you're doing?"   
  
Her words stopped as the Mazoku's staff started to glow with energy, blackening the light around them.   
  
The mysterious priest leaned at the waist until his eyes were at Lina's own level. He gingerly waved his fingers back and forth, as if scolding the petite sorcerer. "Ano...I must apologize. But, I'm afraid I cannot let you continue onward."  
  
The sorcerer's eyes shifted. Hard. As the rest of them were stunned into silence.  
  
"...What did you say?" finally said Zel, almost pushing Lina out of the way.  
  
Xellos arched back and playfully pointed up into the sky with his staff. "Let me put it into simple words for the rest of you. You know that big flashy thing up there? Floating city with lots of clouds? Well...it's off limits. You're not going up there, not for any reason--"  
  
And Lina blew up.   
  
"Are you crazy! You think we all came down here so you could lecture us!"   
  
"Zelgadis has less than a day, and then he's dead!" shouted Amelia, jumped in front of a harried Lina. "There's no way!"   
  
Xellos was too busy enjoying himself. "A shame..." he said, not showing a care...  
  
Sylphiel collapsed almost to the ground, if it wasn't for Gourry holding her up by the arm.  
  
"What can't you get that through your thick skull of yours!" shouted the chimera.  
  
"How can you be so cruel!" followed Amelia, her eyes tearing to no end.  
  
Lina turned to her friends, her hand up as high as she could into the air. The open-faced signal immediately silenced her friends...if only for the moment.   
  
She turned back to the Mazoku, pronouncing her words with meticulous precision. "In all my times with you, we have been on the same side...or on opposing sides. But I never thought...in my wildest dreams...that you'd be this careless...this arrogant..."  
  
"Who says I've changed?" smiled the Mazoku. "After all, the secrets are still there, Lina. All yours for the taking. And yes, there's something up there that can most certainly cure stone boy--"  
  
Zelgadis eyes widened with anticipation.  
  
"But alas," countered Xellos, "I can't let any of you visit. Argitao."  
  
Lina lowered her head as the rest of them were silent. A sigh, as she gathered her thoughts.   
  
A few times before, she had been betrayed by the Mazoku...but then... it had never been this blunt. She had taken in the clues from him every time. He had dropped her notes all along their journey, like a bird following a line of seed...  
  
To this...   
  
The redhead turned her head up high. "You're wrong, Xellos. We're going up there, to uncover the secrets of the Cloudminders..."  
  
"But Lina..." She felt the tap on her shoulder, the sound of a dragon's voice straining right behind her ear.  
  
"Filia?" The redhead turned around, stunned at the sudden appearance of the shrine dragon.   
  
Everyone else had frozen in their tracks as Filia walked up from behind the group.  
  
She must have been...hiding!   
  
And Lina immediately recognized the seriousness on the shrine dragon's face, her expression of pain-  
  
"Filia! Where have you been? We're so worried about you-"  
  
Eyes to eyes.  
  
"Lina..." pleaded Filia, her eyes reddened from a rather emotional bout. "Please..."   
  
The sorcerer's mind started to stir. What in the world was going on? How did Filia know they were here -- and why had she been hiding and following them all this time?   
  
"Lina..." The shrine dragon repeated Lina's name, this time with urgency. "Think about what you're doing...and the fate of the world..."  
  
The sorcerer stuttered out a couple of words, taking a half step backwards from the shock. "Wha...What!...But the prophesy of the Dragons, you mean...when we took care of Dark Star--"  
  
"Please...this is different. This is secret that was never meant to be known by humans." She cut herself off, picking up her words right away. "Not even Lina Inverse was supposed to learn of this. Don't make this already harder than it already is..."  
  
"Do you want Zelgadis to die? Do you!?"  
  
Lina watched the chimera as Sylphiel and Amelia supported his stony body upright for support. Her...friends. No way that any high lord Mazoku was going to get into the way of her mission now. Especially since Xellos had practically spilled the beans on saving Zel's life.  
  
"No, but--"  
  
"No buts!" The sorcerer turned around, her eyes glazed over in anger at Xellos. "Don't you see?" She pointed at the mysterious priest, her sign of frustration. "He's blocking the way! That backstabbing, dirty Mazoku..."  
  
Xellos sighed. "Yare, yare."  
  
"Please, Lina. You have a choice..." Filia closed her eyes, her body trembling while she hid her emotions. "Please...think about if his life...and if its worth the fate of this world..."   
  
Lina eyes grew even more as Filia's statement hit her ears. "What are you saying..."   
  
Something...was wrong. Terribly wrong. She had seen it before in the Filia expression. Only once before, on the truth of ancient dragons, on the truth...of past transgressions...  
  
As if... So much of the past was being repeated. Blocked away because...of the pain.   
  
Did Filia know about the past? The second black mark...  
  
If she knew who the Cloudminders were... then why fight it! Sins of the Golden Dragons...but this...made no sense!  
  
"Filia," asked the sorcerer, looking for answers. "What's...going on?"   
  
"I...can't say..." Filia took a step away, backing up from them both of them. She stared at the serious look in Lina's eyes, and then turned her eyes towards the Mazoku on the high ridge.   
  
"Ho Filia!" waved Xellos, signaling the dragon rather playfully. He pushed his hand playfully toward the dragon. "Be a dear and tell them-"  
  
"No..."  
  
"Alas, you know better..." smiled the Mazoku.   
  
"NO..." The golden dragon yelled a fright of earsplitting pain as she listen to the Mazoku's words ring true. She immediately grasped for her head as she fell to her knees, her emotions unbearable.   
  
She looked into her hands. Red, like before. Mazoku energy, soaked into the skin. She wanted to rub it out, but no! it wasn't like she had touched it! Then how could this be! What sin had caused her to become this!  
  
The fears rose in her mind... No! It wasn't fair! She was here...for them all...   
  
"NOOO!" She screamed. Louder...  
  
Sins of a dragon. No matter how long she carried on, she was at the mercy of her fellow dragons. Her clan -- she had to obey. That history was about to repeat itself.   
  
All she could do to affirm it was obey.   
  
She would...have to...  
  
"You...knew..." floored Lina. "About it all, from the beginning. Even when we met you in Monte Darlo. I was afraid to tell you...all this time..."  
  
Filia cringed, looking up from the dusty ground. "I...couldn't..."  
  
"You never said anything!"  
  
The rest of Lina's friend let out a breath of pain-  
  
"You agree with him? Don't you!" Lina pointed up at the smiling Mazoku, who was looking more dark and sinister as usual. "After your clan destroyed the Cloudminders!"  
  
The golden dragon nodded back to the redhead sorcerer, returning forgiveness by almost begging. "Please...listen to Xellos... I beg of you..."  
  
"Filia..." called the Mazoku, playfully opening up his hand. His image was darker against the afternoon sun behind him, his shadowed face hiding the darkness. It surrounded the Mazoku and flowed down the rocks like grounded fog, its very power growing...  
  
"....Yes?" asked the dragon, her answer half choked up. It was her eyes that earnestly looked up over Lina shoulder...for answers....   
  
"They will not listen."  
  
"....Hai..."  
  
"They will not..."  
  
She nodded.   
  
Xellos was now totally steeped into the darkness of his own power, as his shadows reached playfully into the sky. "What shall you do--" whispered the Mazoku. "Little Dragon..."  
  
  
  
The dragon sniffed as she raised herself off the ground, refusing to let Xellos or anyone else...look into her scarring heart of pain.  
  
No fate.   
  
No choice.  
  
And time stopped.   
  
A breeze swept by everyone, ruffling the nearby grass. Capes of everyone flapped like flags, delicately in the wind. A little cloud of dust, rising and falling all the same blow of wind. An eternity of silence upon them, as if...waiting for an answer.  
  
And she...took a step forward.  
  
"Filia?" Lina gaped.   
  
The golden dragon swept right past her...  
  
....towards a Mazoku's dark gaze.   
  
A little dust came up where she stepped, her emotions shadowing into something so frightening....  
  
"Filia!" Lina's mentality reeled of unspeakable thoughts.  
  
The chimera's eyes grew wide, his mind in total shock. "What...are you doing!"   
  
The golden dragon moved on, refusing to let out any more cries of pain. It was as if all her tears had been cast asunder, her choice made up.   
  
Each step that she took...was harder than the one before. The strength, however, was always there as she continued walking towards Xellos.  
  
"Filia!" yelled Gourry.  
  
"...What's going on..." said Amelia, stunned as she watched the dragon envelope within Xellos' shadows.  
  
The redhead didn't wait as she took rapid steps toward the golden dragon. "What else happened to the Cloudminders, Filia..." asked Lina, pleading for answers. "What else did your clan do besides eliminate them..."   
  
Xellos jumped and landed directly into charging Lina, cutting her off in the mid stride. "Hmmm? Something up?"   
  
The sorcerer snarled, refusing to stay in her place. She darted right past the mysterious priest, running towards Filia and peppering the blond with more questions. "Filia...! Answer me! Why didn't you tell us!"  
  
Xellos leaped again into the sorcerer's path, this time using his form of instant teleportation. "I beg your pardon..." he bowed, "but you must be more careful." So close he stood to her that she could not duck around this time.   
  
"Not now, Xellos!" Lina tried to push the Mazoku away, but he disappeared and reappeared just as fast; still blocking in the way. "Move, damn it!"  
  
The Mazoku grinned, finally getting the redhead's undivided attention. "Haven't you realize it by now?"  
  
"What!" Lina had totally lost her patience. "That you been programming her? Brainwashed her mind? There's no way she would-"  
  
"Oh?" smiled the Mazoku. "I didn't make her--"  
  
Lina gave him a haunted stare.   
  
"The powers of the Cloudminders. They were, so prized in fact, that any price would have not seemed excessive. Not...by a long shot."   
  
The sorcerer froze, listening to every morsel.  
  
"Alas. They themselves were so strong, that alone the dragons could not have defeated them. Such would have been an impossible task..."   
  
"No..." escaped from Lina's mouth, her stare glossy. She tried to cover her ears instinctively, still listening but refusing to believe the truth.  
  
"So great was the Cloudminders' power...that they asked for our help." Xellos moved his body forward with such ego, so proud with himself. He looked into the sorcerer's eyes, uncovering so much that he had hidden... "How could we not refuse such an offer? After all, we destroy...not for our own survival, but to feast..."   
  
In the distance, the purple shine maiden shrilled a painful realization.  
  
Lina's eyes filled with hate. "You...helped them!"  
  
"But of course!" Xellos stepped up, touching Lina's chin for a second before brushing it aside just as quickly. "The truth...was always in your dreams, Lina. I handed you the clues, each and every time. So think for a minute and put it together. Fill in those gaps...and imagine what happened so long ago..."  
  
Lina took a step backwards, watching in her mind the attack that Xellos had only shown her the morning before. The very dream, the reason it felt incomplete...it was like a puzzle finally coming together...a culmination she could no longer avoid...  
  
She saw the golden dragons form their energy, streaming it off like a tidal wave... And instead of an attack on the Cloudminders, they send it to the Mazoku...who captured their energy and added their own...horrible, destructive power. And from nothingness, came the combined power of light and darkness...strong enough to rival the Lord of Nightmares herself...  
  
"It can't be..." whispered Lina. "Their clan and the Mazoku..." The sorcerer fell to her knees, taking the full disclosure in with every breath. "Darkness and light joined together-"  
  
"Destroyed the Cloudminders..." chimed in Zelgadis.  
  
"....to seal their secrets away," finished the sorcerer.  
  
"That," paused the mysterious priest, "...was the price..."   
  
"No..." cried Amelia. "That can't be true..." she sniffed, her mind refusing the truth.  
  
Lina's eyes widened, Xellos' real secret finally coming to light.  
  
Zelgadis stepped forward, disgusted with himself. "And to think..."  
  
"Ano..." stroked the Mazoku. "You do see..."  
  
Xellos smiled, teleporting back up to his elevated ridge. Xellos looked down on the golden dragon, who was kneeling down at the Mazoku's feet, the actions so invigorating. There was no doubt in Xellos' mind, that he had finally had captured his prize. The last action was no longer his to play...for the irony so delightful...   
  
"You're nothing," mumbled the chimera, "but a traitor."   
  
"A repeat of history, my friends, takes a long, long time. But without your help, and Lina's of course, as well as the rest of them, this might not had happened. And for that reason, I thank you. Form the bottom of my heart."  
  
Lina fell to her knees, speechless. The entire time...Monte Darlo. Zel turning into a human and back into stone. All of it so he could..."  
  
She looked up at the City of the Clouds. Once destroyed by the Dragons...and the Mazoku. Yet, it looked very much alive and intact. Whatever secrets they held was a threat to them both, so surely...they would do anything in the world...  
  
"Mazoku and Dragon repeating history," spat Zelgadis.  
  
"...All this time...both of you trying to slow us down..." floored the sorcerer as he whispered to herself; still leaning both of her palms flat on the ground, "...but it was all a lie..."  
  
"Congratulation," bowed the Mazoku.   
  
"Filia!" Gourry grasp at the last straws of truth.   
  
"Please!" shouted Sylphiel, but she was quickly drowned out.  
  
"Don't do this!" shouted Zelgadis. "You don't have to repeat the sins of your clan..."  
  
The dragon could no longer hear her friend's pleas from within her mind. They just fell on the deaf ears, because her mind...was made up.  
  
All she could do was look up with tears streaming from her eyes. The pain...of so many secrets finally coming true. It was suppose to be relief from salvation...but that wasn't the case... it was never the case...  
  
The dragon looked at her hands, stained with blood. No longer her blood, but the colored in the power of Shaberinadgo. It itself was the truth...  
  
She had no choice.   
  
She would carry out the fate of her clan...once again... No one, not even Lina could learn the secrets of the Cloudminders. The cost to keep the secret was so great...the price of failure even higher.  
  
"Join me..." said Xellos, from within his shadows. He touched Filia's chin, wiping away the tears of pain. "Sweet Dragon..."  
  
"...I...shall..."  
  
He raised his staff and pointed it back at the group of her former friends. "Those who seek the Cloudminders must be stopped..."  
  
Filia nodded as she turned around...  
  
"Do what you must do," whispered the Mazoku.  
  
...She faced her friends.  
  
Deadly silence was everywhere. Only the wind answered her beckoned call to speak up and fill the empty void with sound. And it howled...of pain, of despair...for even nature was never a timid one...  
  
"...Filia..."  
  
"Lina Inverse!"  
  
"...Filia..." She could barely hear herself over the sobs of the other ladies behind her.  
  
"By the sacred order of the last remaining member of my clan..."  
  
The sorcerer was beyond numb.   
  
"You will not trespass upon the City of the Clouds." Filia swallowed her pain, holding back her tears....   
  
"...Filia..."  
  
"And if you try...I will KILL YOU!"   
  
  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
[Lina] That's an evil cliffhanger! Noooo!  
  
[Author] ^_^   
  
-  
  
---o--o--o---  
  
-  
  
I'm going to take a few month break from writing Slayers, so don't expect anything in a while. Yes, I have a full time job ^^;;;   
  
-Incantrix  
  
incantrix at dreamclouds.com  
  
-  
  
---o--o--o--- 


	13. Chap 13: Survival! Let Friends be Safe!

---o--o--o---

Author Hello, Xellos

Xellos I never do introductions...Never liked them...

Author You are a tedious one, aren't you?

Xellos As you say, old friend...

---o--o--o---

Slayers: Clouds!

Chapter 13:  
Survival! Let Friends be Safe!

---o--o--o---

The dragon lord knew his time had come again...

"Yes," with eyes glaring down into the dusty ground. Next to his feet a woman in black coughed. He took pleasure in flooring the lord Zelas, a familiarity of memories from long ago. "Don't you remember the romps we used to have? Eating sausages and cheeses while you brushed your children's ratty furs skins. I used to watch you feed them under my untrusting gaze, their eyes never leaving my own stare me in the slightest. Oh, it was so long ago."

Zelas' muddy face looked up, her condition not at all pretty. "I can't even imagine you there."

"But it was! I remember it..." Wrapping his giant hands around her neckline, he pulled her up like a ragdoll. "I can't thank you enough for your power, your fun. After all, I couldn't have done it without your little help."

Zelas coughed. "I try--"

The stranger extended her arm, putting her ribs against his own in familiar embrace. "Dance with me, old friend..."

The Mazoku lord spit on his pleas. "...Never will I be with you again." But she had not the strength to push him away, her feet still dragging in mud. "You beast and traitor."

"You betrayed them before...am I right? You turned your back on the rest of them, with you and Philbrizzo doing this to me."

"No, we didn't," gurgled Zelas. "What would I get out of turning your head into mush?"

"Perhaps if I reminded you of the price of pain." He turned his back for a second and pulled out a plain brown canvas sac, heavy from its contents. From the bottom leaked black energy, dripping on the dry ground, sizzling like flying eggs.

"Madness."

The dragon lord dropped the bag, its sticky contents rolled out as if spurring by her curiosity. Her heart wanted to look away, but her eyes could only burn the horrible image in her mind. She was staring at the head of Dolphin, her friend, in the middle of black sticky mess. Her eyeballs were still squirming and circling like drunken sailors, her lips split apart by the sharpness of a blade. Even dismembered, the sea-dwelling Mazoku lord was still alive.

"And my former lover, you will do it betray them again. I believe I am need of a withdrawal."

Just as sudden, the dragon lord plunged his arm up to his wrist onto Zelas crippled body. He ripped flesh from her suddenly immaterial form, molding a removed handful sticky black mass with his fingers until it was quite pliable in his hands. Zelas' body fell backwards, leaving her chest open to the mud below her broken body.

The stranger straightened up, the flame of black torching the sky, the shadow of the Cloundminders ever close in the distance. He tilted head high into the sky, his now mad laugher shaking the air.

---o--o--o---

The sorcerer looked up at Filia and Xellos. Mazoku and Dragon.

They were on the same side, with the indefensible City of the Clouds behind them twirling in the morning blue sky. The seriousness in their eyes was unmatched to the silence of the moment. If only one could imagine...

A dragon with the will.

The fire in her eyes. Life. Survival. Lina had only seen it once before, the anger, the sorrow that Filia had hidden away from her family, disobeying...

"Filia," spoke Lina, so softly that she barely heard herself.

The truth was known. Mazoku and Dragon. In a pact, working together against the Cloudminders. A fate, a history of thousands of years ago, working together, because of past transgressions, by them--

A dream.

Why now? Why would the memories of her dreams surface as she watched Filia cloak flutter in the wind. Something about this place had brought the memories of the dreams alive, but now they were happening all at once.

The valley, all the same.

The place, just off by a hair.

The sky, a perfect blue. The Cloudminders, more magnificent in her eyes than ever possible from her dreams. She felt just being able to reach out and touch them, to feel their presence, no matter how mysterious--

At a split second, unleashed. Blue and green, the waves of power that seem to come out of nowhere. More powerful than her amplified dragon slave. The signal of the end of the world, for all that she knew.

It was not just Zelgadis' fate...but her fate as well, to know the answer.

Lina's heart called out in pain.

The Cloudminders. They had all the answers.

No one was going to stop her.

No Mazoku.

No dragon.

Even if it meant taking on her friend.

She knew what she had to do.

---o--o--o---

Xellos looked down at the redheaded sorcerer, amused as ever.

A hand played. No longer a game, each round had been played by experts. A series of battles coming to a climax. Never before had a betray been so close--so good, so bad. So perfect, it fact, it was like a tickle. He was getting off on it, all right--

Lina was determined as ever. Even before had he seen the red outlined so dark in her eyes. Not directed so much at them, but at the truth.

And then back at Filia. For beyond the determination in Filia's eyes, there was a sadness and grief. As if someone touched and threatened the very life of her soul--and more.

He watched her, ever so carefully, looking for that sign, thus waiting for her to be ready. So tense was the air that you could slice it with blade of the Lord of Nightmares.

And then, he stepped in.

"Time out!" interrupted a Mazoku, making a T shape with his hands. The mysterious appeared right behind the redhead, almost playfully goosing her with his fingers. "I need to huddle with my partner for a minute."

"Wha? Partner?" repeated the sorcerer, twirling around towards Xellos. "Hey, aren't we a bit busy here!"

"I know, baking a cake. Right?. 10 minutes, tops." He poofed and reappeared next to the dragon, swiping her hands literally from out of the air. Filia didn't even have time to flinch, so dumbfounded by the casualness of the Mazoku.

"Ta-ta!" And he was gone with the dragon.

"What just happened?" chimed Sylphiel.

Gourry scratched his head. "I think they needed some time alone."

"Stupid Mazoku," commented the chimera, supported by the ever-so helpful Sylphiel. "Even stupider Filia." He looked up at the rest of them, his glare no longer friendly. "How could she do this to us."

"I'm sure she has her reasons," pondered Lina. "I can't imagine that past transactions are forcing her--"

"No, she's got more spine than that." The chimera came over next to Lina, his glare more determined. "So, do you think we can take her?"

"Wait a minute," shouted Sylphiel, "You don't expect us to go against her!"

Amelia's eyes waxed over. "Our magic...we've never."

Lina straightened out her posture. For them to use spells against a dragon, it was almost a tenet of white magic that nothing like would ever happen. Yet...

"What does your heart tell you?" she answered. "What do you want to do?"

"That Filia is a dragon," said Amelia, "and how I can't do this to an elder. She's almost like the sister..." As her words trailed off, her posture become suddenly defensive.

Lina put her hand gingerly on top of Amelia's head, rubbing her thick locks of hair. "You know when you were bad one day and your daddy punished you?"

"No, not at all! I was a perfect little girl growing up-" A thought entered her head, stopped Amelia in her tracks. "Well, er...there was this drapery once in the throne room. Something about me with scissors."

The rest of the group chuckled.

"Come on." Lina sighed. "Think of it as telling off your parents. Besides," said Lina, looking out of a corner of her eye at Zelgadis, "I made a promise that I intend to keep. Mazoku and Dragons be damned."

Amelia nodded.

"Lina," said Sylphiel, coming over to the other two ladies. "How do we intend to get past Xellos and Filia? Its not like be can stroll right by-"

"No, of course not." The redhead, realizing that something was different, did a headcount of her friends. "Where's Gourry?"

---o--o--o---

He held the beautiful dragon by her lower arm, loosely in his hand yet tightly against his body. "So, little dragon. Before you commit your soul to the Mazoku will, I believe we have something to review." Talking at the same time, the Mazoku tugged at his bag, producing a scroll.

"You had better make it quick," Filia growled. "I can't even imagine they think we're like a couple of spies."

Xellos was amused, his chest on to her back, gently pinning her arms behind her back. "Oh, I didn't come on over here just 'Kiss the Dragon.' You know I'm correct." Filia obediently nodded her head, her body wilting in his grasp. "Now, pay attention what I say, and speak softly so they don't hear us..."

"OK" purred the golden dragon, "but read it."

"Oh this?" He let the bottom of the scroll go as it uncurled well past his feet. He drew the top it up to the Dragon's eyes. "Now for article one--"

"Give me that!" Reality helped Filia break out of his grasp, snatching the document from the mysterious priest hand's. She read the top part of the scroll first, before speaking the passage out loud. "I, Filia Ul. Coup, declare my will and soul to one Xellos, servant of Greater Beast Zelas Metallium..."

"Oooh, not in that tone. You're surely have the wrong idea."

The dragon was furious. "You mean there's some way I could have the right impression?"

Xellos's face showed off a little smirk. "With more feeling, little Dragon."

The blond could not stop reading the scroll out loud, exasperated what else Xellos had placed in his wish list. "Not yell at you!" raising her voice, "Scratch you back!"

Xellos coughed. "Ummm... how did that get in there..."

"Wash your tights!" Filia took the scroll and threw it back down into the mud. "Did you ever think I would become your slave so easily? What do you expect of me."

The mysterious priest objected, "A housewife then!"

"Nagomi!" The blond dragon slapped the Mazoku so hard across the cheek that he tripped, toppling into the grass.

A little adjustment and he was as good as new. Almost. "I feel it, Filia. I know you can tell me now..." The little show the Mazoku had performed was already over. "And how it feels."

"Disgusting," spat Filia. "I don't feel a thing."

"Not true. This is a Mazoku you're talking about. It is, after all, the pain of regret."

The golden dragon shuddered at Xellos' last words. She felt it elevate in her body, a knot in her stomach rising up her chest. If these strange feelings she tried to hold continued captured in her mind, there was no saying what would happen. It was as if the situation--

"Ah, betray." Finished Xellos. "Such a strong word to use."

Filia's breath grew shorter. "How..." was the only word she could speak, even if in itself made very little sense.

"I tend to think of it as following instructions from your elders."

Her attention snapped back onto the Mazoku. "You...knew?"

"Oh, for quite some time. You probably knew in the back of your mind too, yet could not ponder the truth of it."

"No, I guess not. The Cloudminders have been another stain that I never knew, history I don't care about..." She looked closer into Xellos' eyes. "You said you were there. What did happen?"

Xellos crossed his arms. "It was a long time ago, during the time when Dragons and Mazoku ruled the world."

Filia let the energy from Xellos wrap around her body. She didn't have the will to fight it, ever if she wanted to avoid the truth.

A scene changed the sky became darker and colder than before.

"What are you doing..." asked the dragon, entering something that she had never felt before. Indeed the Mazoku and dragon were as close as ever, the power of Xellos streaming off his like a geyser of water.

"Memories...we Mazoku have the power of illusion, just like you dear dragons. But this one is of something long...ago."

"Why are you showing me this. I know already--"

"Because," as if almost in a trance of anticipation, "you need to know the truth from both sides. As if you may know some of it from history, his word is never a good source."

Her mind objected, throwing up a light wall. "No...I don't want to..."

"Alas...its too..."

"Late." Finished the dragon. But she felt the words in her mouth, even before they could be stopped by her mind.

The white fluffy clouds that were there before were gone, now replaced with the white wisps of something else, laced in the color of red. The City of the Clouds seemed to disappear from view and reappeared farther away from its former position. It finally matched the cloud cover from before, the color refracting off of its golden spires seemed a bit more menacing than before.

"Where are we..."

"More like when are we..." pointed Xellos, at a floating group. "Oh, there I am..."

Filia eyes looked up, horrified. Next to Xellos was a small boy, an unmistakable floating power of Philbrizzo.

She could just imagine the conversation between the two Mazoku. And out of the air, a group of golden dragons circled overhead, about to charge the two Mazoku.

The Xellos from the past raised his staff, it itself glowing in the setting light. He shot ray of light out towards the dragons--

"No!" screamed Fila. But she was not really in this time, her pleading cries could only be heard by present Xellos.

"Oh Filia, I'm not that way unless---"

The smoke cleared. Past Xellos' shot has been in warning only, for it was enough for the golden dragons to pause. In front of the pack, squarely looking at the two Mazoku, The Supreme Elder.

Filia watched her former leader and head of the golden dragons pause at the Mazoku. They weren't fighting? How long ago was this?

"I am not afraid of you and your little new minion there, Philbrizzo."

"You called us, dragons. What is it that you desire?"

"We are the protectors of this world," answered the elder leader. "The balance between us and the other races must remain at peace."

"Oh," paused the past Xellos. "And who made you the judge?"

Philbrizzo ignored the younger one. "We don't have time to play dragon games. I need a good reason for being here. "

"They have imaginable power. Power to crush the gods and Mazoku alike."

"Yes, they are a threat. If they tug the switch, we can jump into another plane. There's no reason to go against them, for there are easier things to do to satisfy our needs. Why should we risk something for no gain? How foolish."

The elder dragon stepped forward, snarling into Xellos side. "You will help us, Mazoku. You always wanted a piece of the secrets of the Cloudminders."

The past Xellos blew him off. "Yare yare. You are quite foolish." At the same time, Xellos' blackness around him grew. "So maybe then I'll have a little fun with you instead..."

Filia watched, shaking her head, watching Xellos lower himself into a darting position to attack. Behind him, a smarting Philbrizzo. The Mazoku were coming together, like a pack of wolves. And it didn't matter who the enemy was, it all seemed to be a waste of time.

And then, a new member appeared.

Right in front of then between Philbrizzo and the Dragons. His size was massive, at least five times the size of Xellos. They all knew his name, yet no one had to speak of it.

And there was a fire in those eyes. A power, never to be quenched.

"Heed, Lord Philbrizzo."

The mysterious priest didn't bat an eyelid. "I see... so the real caller cometh."

The child Hellmaster was steadfast, however, pushing Xellos back to silence with a turn of his head. He quickly made the other Mazoku minions snap their attention towards the new stranger.

"There are those who believe time has given us the right. That the Lord of everything has the powers bestowed on us..."

Then, a pause, and one that seemed to last an eternity. "And your point?" spoke Hellmaster.

"Yes, the Ancient Dragons have decided not to fight among our side. The golden dragons had done their best to eliminate them."

"Petty battles. Toys I call them, and since they have no threat on anything I do." Philbrizzo was not impressed with the stranger's tact, no matter how dwarfed he was. "I don't care--"

"I see all, Philbrozzo. Those Cloudminders have the Ancient's most elusive power. We cannot allow them to have that over us."

Xellos spat right at their feet. "You mingle...then."

"We protect this world, at any cost."

"We don't believe you one bit." doffed Xellos.

"Name you price."

Philbrizzo's flat expression turned into a smile of pleasure. "Oh I see...you can't do it alone. I see why you called us, golden one, you wanted the power of light and dark." He took a second to rub his chin in delight, his mind churning ideas left and right. "Very well. Give me part of this world to do as I please."

"Blastomy!" shouted a dragon.

The stranger gritted his teeth. "How dare you---"

"Shut up, for I already know you're say yes from those fists of yours are almost glowing. Go ahead and cause trouble later. I don't give a damn. However, I want amusement, and a little playground would suit me fine. A zone of intense magic..."

"Never!" shouted The Supreme Elder. Such a zone is a power keg to everything that we believe in! You would have chaos at the snap of your fingers!"

Philbrizzo stared at the silent stranger. "You asked me to name my price." He paused as the smirk of his smile threatened to take over his entire face. "I do believe you agree with the terms, I might add."

The stranger nodded, opening up his hand for the Mazoku to see. In his palm, a ball of energy floated up and flew over to Hellmaster, waiting like a puppy to its owner.

The elder dragons stiffened.

"Very well, your silence delivery seals our pact." He moved aside for the smiling mysterious priest to float forward. "Use him well."

---o--o--o---

A Mazoku's story suddenly ended. The scene of the past faded more instantly than it had appeared. The City of the Clouds appeared, back in its original position.

"Excuse me," said Gourry, the blond swordsman popping right between Xellos and Filia, his eyes searching the ground below them. "Oh, hello."

"What are you doing here?" said Filia, her face whitened with surprise.

"Ummm..." paused the blond swordsman.

"The dragon asked you a question, so I expect you to answer it." Xellos shook his head, looking down at the blond swordsman.

"Actually," asked Gourry, "You've seen a sword around here? Oh, I would guess about 4 feet in length, with nice and pretty crystals in it. Its got lots of great stuff, like the ability to swing--"

"Oh?" asked the curious Mazoku. "Did you lose your plaything? It does something helpful?"

"Sure. It glows in the dark."

Xellos sweatdropped. "Oh, does it? That's quite a nightlight. Well, if I do see something like that, I'll bring it on over to you."

Gourry frowned, "Well, I guess that's OK. Em said that it would be impossible for you to touch, that's all. Maybe because it would be hot to the touch."

Lina appeared behind the swordsman, all smiles. "Hehehe... excuse me everyone." She turned Gourry around so the other wouldn't see. "What are you doing over here!"

"Looking for that thing that Thoth had--"

"And you're asking Xellos and Filia?"

"They seem to like my story, that's all. Its better than Xellos' story..."

Lina turned her eyes up at the Mazoku and Dragon, both of them smiling at each other like a couple of innocent bystanders. Even Xellos was teasingly waving her hand back at them.

"That!" she pointed, "is our enemy over there. Didn't you remember that they won't let us to the City of the Clouds."

"Why not?"

Everyone else facefaulted.

Lina let out another point. "Hold on a sec...what are you missing?"

Gourry seemed to be the annoyed one this time. "The sword I got from Em, and the one that glows like the box that whirls. You remember Thoth pulling it out earlier..."

The thought hit Lina hard like a rock. "You mean... it's a chaos sword?"

Filia took a step back, right into the chest of Xellos. They seemed to be stepping away if only for a second, all while Lina was looking at them out of the corner of her eye. The dragon stepped backwards suddenly, her feet shifting a glint of metal among the grass.

Gourry spotted it before anyone else did. "There it is! The sword!"

Xellos looked down, seeing that his little dragon assistant had indeed stepped on the metallic weapon, revealing it from the brush. "Oh, my..."

Lina charged, Gourry right behind her as the humans made a grab towards Filia's feet. The two of them were so aggressive toward the sword that they jumped right into each other, toppling over each other, a foot short of the sword

Xellos stepped on the sword's hilt with his boot, cradling the blade within his hands. He looked down at the fallen sorcerer, tisking tisking the poor girl the second time within the hour. "Sorry, Lina. I have an obligation--"

"Look! A golden dragon in lace!" huffed Lina.

Xellos was not fooled. "Now don't think--"

"With a giant Octopus tying it down!"

The mysterious priest wheeled--

SMACK

--with a right fist from our redheaded sorcerer.

"Got it!" bounced Lina, the chaos blade securely clucked in her small chest.

Having been bulldozed again, he muttered a second before realizing that the golden Dragon was overshadowing his position. "Really, now...I just imagined the tentacle..."

WHAP

He crumpled again, this time taking a little longer to collect his nerves.

"Nagoni!" grumbled a dragon, stomping away.

"Linnna!" squealed Amelia, with the other two right behind her. "Did you find Gourry."

Gourry turned around to them, flashing Em's sword at the same time.

It was almost enough to make the chimera smile.

"What is that...thing?" asked Sylphiel, pointing to the crystalline structure in the unknown blade.

"There are chaos stones within the blade." Zelgadis looked up it, almost breathing a sigh of relief. "And quite possibility our salvation."

Lina blinked, "You mean its a sword in a chaos box--"

A blast of nearby energy startled the five of them. They looked around the plain, surprised to see that Xellos and Filia had backed away from their position. They were clearly readying themselves for some melee action--

"Are you letting us go, Xellos?"

"Give us the chaos blade, Lina," responded Filia, drawing herself next to the detestable Mazoku. "We can't allow you to have such a holy item. And then we'll let you leave this place, unharmed."

"Holy, huh," whispered the sorcerer, turning her eyes up at the two of them. "You know better Filia, than to ask me. I would never let that happen."

The mood was turning serous again.

"Can we run?" asked Amelia.

"No," said Zelgadis, "not from this."

"We're not going anywhere..." Lina looked up, expecting for hell to come to them. "Not while there's a way to save Zel. And besides the point, you think I'm going to let a single Mazoku and his sidekick dragon finish me off? Ha!"

"You don't think they'd come out after..." Amelia's eyes looked up over the ridge as the reflection of gold started to glow in over her pale face. "Oh no..."

"Duck!" screamed Zelgadis, pushing the princess sorceress to the ground. Everyone else with him hit the deck.

BOOOOM!

A roar of dragon's energy shot over their position, turning the higher grasses into a forest of smoldering ashes. A few fires from the immense heat erupted nearby as the energy blast cleared away.

Filia was livid. "Don't you dare call me a sidekick to him!" she pointed.

"I like this!" said Xellos, his stack glowing black with energy..

Lina pushed both her hands out. "Scatter! Now!"

A smattering of hand-sized black cones hit the ground just where Lina had once been standing, throwing up fire and debris wherever they touched. Right after the assault of darkness, a bluish ball of energy compiled the problem as it nose-dived in front of their new position.

"I can't believe they're working together!" shouted Amelia.

The redhead was coughing too much to answer back.

This is nothing but trouble, pondered a chimera.

---o--o--o-  
"What do we do now," asked Filia, looking down at the ground.

"You already know that answer, little Dragon." Xellos continued to stalk around the blond, letting the air between them to become full of conflicting energies. "Its good for you, untrusting them."

"Don't you dare..." There was a slowness in her voice, for the Mazoku's steps were slowly enchanting her rational thoughts. She was becoming memorized by the spell that the Mazoku was putting on her.

His charms were succeeding. "Yes... you know. Now lend me you hand..."

"NO!"

The Mazoku didn't bat an eye. "Cloudminders..."

"Grrrr..." The golden Dragon turned her hand around to her side, hiding it from her own sight. "I can't believe I'm doing this..."

Xellos licked his lips, his mind assuring him of the next step. He watched as a small spheroid of energy form in the Golden dragon's hand, a swirling mass of yellow light. "Yes..."

Filia shuddered, her emotions showing pain and guilt on her face. She spun around, her hands still wrapped in Xellos' black power. The passion of it all made her drop to her knees, all while letting out a little roar of desire.

"Yes...give me... your strength..." Xellos purred at the sight, his own body growing excited my the mere thoughts.

It was time...oh so wonderful!

Filia looked up from her kneeling position, looking up at the Mazoku as he stepped closer to her ball of energy. "Xellos...stop it..."

The Mazoku was undeterred. "This is the price!"

"There has to be another way!" She shouted up again, trying to stop what she had created.

---o--o--o---

The energy in the air made Amelia shiver and shake. "What's that feeling..."

"Unbridled emotions," said Lina, feeling the coldness in the air.

"She really did it." Sylphiel's voice was incredibly sad, dripping with total remorse.

The chimera face was hardened as well. "I never doubted that she would go through with it..." A gust of wind interrupted his words as raw energy in the air reached higher in the air. "And we missed it so much..."

They watched the Mazoku smile, for in front of him a floating ball of yellow with strings of energy leaving Filia's fingers. He turned his staff towards Filia's gift and began to peel a little of the yellow energy, gently gathering the tiny amount by adding a little darkness to the swirl. Like two opposite colors of paints, they never truly mixed. This made much smaller ball of light and darkness, but a ball of chaos.

"Watch out!" Lina was hysterical, and the rest of them didn't doubt a single word. "That's bigger than your average fireball!"

The tiny chaos ball screamed over their heads, landing quite a distance behind their heads.

BOOOOOOMM!

It threw the group out of their crotched positions, throwing them forward in a searing blast of energy. Poor Sylphiel was thrown straight up the air and might have been thrown high save for Gourry's lucky grasp of the shrine maiden's foot.

"What was that!" Amelia was terrified.

"Pure light-dark energy, mixed by our good friend Xellos." Lina gripped herself, at least trying to think of the next step.

"They're mad!" said the chimera, stomping his feet with anger.

"Lina! We can't go against that collaboration..." screamed Amelia. "There's no way..."

The sorcerer stood her ground. "We're not going anywhere."

"But if they're putting up this kind of fight?" asked the princess of Saillune. "What's the point?"

"Then the secrets of the Cloudminders," finished Zelgadis. "Its now more than probable...its real."

Amelia stood aghast against the backdrop of the smoldering crater, big enough for a full sized dragon to hide in. "You can't be serious! This is just nuts!"

Lina surveyed the damage behind her, the steaming crater easily five times as deep as her height. "No, its not madness. Never would I believe Filia could be capable of this. This is more than guile and hatred. She must be in real trouble."

---o--o--o---

Filia watched as Xellos took another helping at her ball of energy, this time taking more than a quarter of her gift. He combining it again, this time with the base of his staff like a stirring stick.

"Come over here, little one," said the excited Mazoku. "Your husband-to-be is a making a drink."

Her eyes shifted over. "Not on your life. Do you think they'll go on now?"

Xellos smoothed over his hands. "I do hope so..."

"Your horrible! You could have just knocked them out. Or diverted them. You said it once yourself that you could have directed them out of the way..."

"Oh really now." Xellos stopped his work, just enough to come over and stare at the golden Dragon. "How many times have they tried to stop them. Hmmm?"

Filia took a step back. "Once?"

Xellos shook his head. "Oh dear."

"Twice?"

"Not quite the case, I'm afraid."

"Three times?"

Xellos had to stand there and think about it. "Ahhh, maybe. But really now, there was Joe himself."

"No..." said Filia. "How revolting."

"And what are you doing now?" said the Mazoku, as he turned the bottom of his staff among the energies. The mixing of energy seemed a little thicker as he turned and turned into it under the great strain of power.

"No...you can't possibly believe."

"But I do. And now I know..." In front of the mysterious' priest's eyes, the reflection, it glowed as if to say yes. Complete. Restored to a time once forgotten.

Filia watched the swirling perfect sphere of energy twirl among itself, a pure globe of yellow in a sea of darkness. Or was it a seed of darkness among the yellow sky? Or a flashpoint between the two, interloping from once way to another?

Xellos lifted his staff into the air, the perfect chaotic energy was tethered on like a ball on a string. And just when one would think it would wrap all the way around his own staff, he released it--

---o--o--o---

"Quickly!" screamed a sorcerer, the darkness coming quickly on their position.

"BARUS WALL!"

The four of them put up their walls in succession, the layers extensionally stronger than the one behind it. Amelia's and Zel's cracked open like a hammer against an eggshell, disappearing as fast as they have been produced. Sylphiel's own wall didn't do much better, fairing up for a second or two longer as the energy ball dug though its layering. The energy caved in, the force hitting Lina's wall and the last line of protection.

At first, Lina thought that she had succeeded in stopping the forward motion of the attack. But like with Sylphiel's barrier, the chaotic energy continued to drill into her shielding.

"MEGA BRAND!"

Pure energy met the pure destruction of an energy barrier, shattering the globe of darkness as it disappeared.

"Jump into the pit! Now!"

Everyone dived--

The air turned from darkness to light, the chaotic energy exploding outward, striking down energy and air alike. Sound was inhuman, raising to levels never heard before.

If they hadn't been a place to hide directly from the blast--

Ground gave way, the soil suddenly melting around them. Everyone was suddenly in a mode of panic, pushing what they had to block the chaotic energy.

Not even a second later...It was gone!

Lina was first to crawl out the hole, throwing off soil that had just protected them. She couldn't understand...where all that excess energy and chaos had vanished to. It couldn't just have disappeared from thin air?

Could it?

Xellos and Filia was there in the distance, their mouths wide open. Behind them, the golden dragon's energy just hovered up and down, like an angry play toy...

"How did we..." asked Sylphiel, as she wiped the soil from the side of her face.

"I'll let you know," drowned Lina, "as soon as I know."

A crackle. Energy. They all looked at the blond swordsman, his chaos blade beckoning over his head has he used it as last second shelter. The blade, however, was lit with white, with an occasional sparkle of chaos.

"Are we..." coughed Amelia. "Is everyone OK?"

---o--o--o---

Xellos looked up in the sky, almost communicating secretly with someone that wasn't there. He frowned, grumpy with the result, still staring up is disbelief.

Filia looked disturbed at the group in front of them, angrily stamping her foot into the grass. "What are you planning on doing now!"

"Give me a second." He turned his head sideways for a second, tilting it back in a relaxed motion.

Filia shook her head. "Xellos!"

The mysterious priest would not budge, relaxed as ever. "Yes..."

He watched Lina and company cave around Gourry and his mysterious sword like its was the second coming of Cepheid. There was no way to be sure that he had blocked it...unless...

Oh well, he was going to miss the little red headed one--

Reaching out with his palm to the sky, he began to unleash more power. So dark was the energy streaming out of his hand that it snowballed off in the shape of red spheres, darkening every object within sight of it. The edges of the darkness mixed and flowed with the smoothness that one could swear they were made of water.

"No..." Filia reached out, trying to snare the Mazoku from his deadly vice of power. "You can't...be serious..."

"It was never serious until now, little dragon. Now, let me show know you how serious it ends."

The dark matter of energy plunged into Filia sphere of energy, excited for the new rush of power. It turned from the cold yellow to a hot white of energy, almost threatening to blind everyone in sight. It was huge, bigger than any of them. Even the heat it was putting out was much to strong for anyone to handle.

It was ready.

"Batten the hatches," said Lina, as if announcing the weather was turning for the worst. "We're about to get the company of the very unfriendly type."

"Oh dear," said the purple shrine maiden. She and Amelia used each other for support as more wind suddenly pushed them back.

"Don't you ever get," exclaimed the chimera, "that feeling were not invited?"

Lina unleashed her sword from her waist, expecting the worst. "Sure. I love crashing a party."

And then she winked. "Now! Everyone behind Gourry!"

The swordsman nearly facefaulted. "Whaaa?"

"You're our protectorate. Right?"

Gourry nodded. "But that doesn't mean the rest--"

"Then protect me, damn it!"

Xellos lifted his arm into the air, and threw them down, heaving his ball of energy away. After his gift left his hands, he kept them up, as if waving goodbye.

"Here we go again..."

The mysterious priest chuckled a bit inside, watching the giant black and white ball of energy as it hit the ground and rolled towards Lina and company. He kneeled, suddenly to catch his energy and compose himself, weakened from all the effort. Next to him, Filia, her eyes like dinner saucers, swollen from tears of pain.

It was going...going...it was 5 seconds...4.  
The group of humans were huddled behind Gourry, behind the outstretched glowing chaos bade...

...3...2...

Xellos watched the group brace for impact, the thin chaos blade the only stick of resistance in front of them. He smiled as very tip touched the edge of the swordsman blade. Strike!

Then, a strange reaction. Like steam escaping a top of a tea kettle, his ball of light and darkness cracked open, the white energy shooting back towards Xellos like a vertical sprout of fire-hosed water.

"Oh my..."

BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM

Everywhere exploded outward in a blinding light. Xellos heard the energy crackle as it reached his feet. Before he could reach instinctively for the edge of his cape, the Mazoku was flipped over headfirst before he ever realized what had happened.

A golden dragon screamed.

Still spinning like a pinwheel, Xellos dropped his staff, his broken body falling behind the dragon into the muddy ground. Even if he escaped into the ethereal plane, he knew this erupting energy would find him there as well. He didn't hope or pray for his safely, but for the survival to carry out the task at hand.

In the corner of his eye he saw a golden dragon sprawled on the ground. She looked up at him with a look of fright, her mud-caked face expression crossed with shock. "Got any more bright ideas, Xellos dear?" Then she closed her eyes.

He looked up higher, over the hill, on the top ledge. Indeed, his master Zelas and the stranger had been watching all of them. They were quite a pair.

"Indeed I do." Putting his index finger toward his lips. "But that...it a secret."

---o--o--o---

Gourry blinked. Wrapped around his hands was the magnificent chaos blade, its powers had protected them like nothing else he had ever seen. When the giant sphere of energy came barreling down the way towards them, he instinctively drew his blade up with Lina's coaxing. He was become used to used his new sword as vacuum, the loose chaos energy now in the body of his magical sword. He left it there, still staring at the outstretched blade.

The sounds of thunder died. It was over.

"What...happened?" asked a shine maiden, coming up from the left.

"I don't...believe it." Zelgadis eyes were glued to the glowing stones that made up the blades of the sword. "Light dark magic, one of the greatest powers, stopped dead in its tracts by a couple pieces of rock in metal."

"Victory!" Amelia was flashing the familiar V, their fingers as wide as her smile.

"Filia!" Lina ran across the browned field. Gourry was second right behind her, dropping his blade aside as he rushed toward the fallen dragon.

The redhead turned over Filia's body, her beautiful yellow and white robes were torn and caked with mud. Lina felt along Filia's wrist for a pulse, sighing at finding the dragon was alive.

Sylphiel came up behind Lina next, looking down at the fallen Mazoku and Dragon. "Was this...all necessary?"

The chimera shot her a dirty look. "We did what we should have done a long time ago."

"Zel!" retorted the sorcerer.

Sylphiel put her hands up defensibly, "But this result! Couldn't have we down something else that wouldn't of have been so--" And suddenly, she was a loss for words.

"Painful, you mean," nodded Lina, her voice tone tense. "and we're not much closer to the real reason."

"True," followed Zelgadis as he left them for a second. "Excuse me, I'm going to make sure that's all the trouble around here...Lina?"

"Wait." Lina was too busy poking around with Xellos unconscious self, poking around his bags and belongings. She finally came to his yellow sac of belongings that was swung around his shoulder. "Hmmm, what have we got here."

She pulled at the yellow bag as it suddenly came loose from Xellos' waist. Popping it down, she looked for a zipper or something to open the bag. As she reached for the zipper to-be, it seemed like the bag itself moved ever so slightly, jotting out of the way. "How do you open this thing?"

"No idea," said the shrine maiden. "I don't even see a latch."

"I've seen Xellos open his bag," said Gourry.

Lina wheeled over to the blond swordsman like a woman possessed.

"Well, you see, I think he was whispering."

Lina sweatdropped. "I'm not sure if that exactly helps. I mean, a lot of times I'm saying things that other people don't understand."

"What was that?" asked a swordsman. "You mentioned something about eavesdropping?"

The redhead fumed. "Gourry!"

"Lina...maybe he wasn't talking," suggested the chimera.

The sorcerer nodded, leaning down next to the unconscious Xellos. It was as she was speaking but no intelligent words were coming out.

"What's she doing," asked Gourry.

"Chaos words," said the other shine maiden.

Lina tried again to reach for Xellos' side bag. This time, the yellow bag seemed to give way as it just opened enough for the sorcerer to stick her hand in.

She hit something immediately, small and soft to the touch. "There's some sort of strap here, but I can't--" And she pulled it harder, it gave way and snapped clutched in her hand over her head.

A bra. A golden bra.

"What the..."

The guys looked stunned, their eyes glazed over.

Lina blushed, taking up to examining what she had pulled out. "Filia d'Coup, handmade by Dragon." She wheeled at Xellos, "Why that lo-down dirty, sneaky, two-timing thief of a..." And for good measure, she kicked him playfully.

The chimera wasn't the only one to chuckle. "I wonder how Xellos acquired such an item."

"Let me see," said Amelia pulled it out of Lina's hands and drew it up over Lina to her eye-level, so much that the cups covered her eyes. "Oh, I think I can adjust it to my size."

"Give me that!" muttered the sorcerer.

The redhead searched in the bag again, grabbing onto something warm. She hesitated for a sec before drawing it out, the hard object tucked warmly inside her palm.

She looked into her hand, her fingers opening like a morning tulip. A slightly glowing chaos stone very much like the one she had seen before, illuminated by her magical touch.

She tugged at her belt, bring up the other chaos stone hidden on her body. As two stones seemed to glitter in unison, their patterns of light and darkness around their edging was just enough to make them aware of each other.

"Creepy," said Amelia.

In all, Lina was able to pull out two more stones before giving up and collapsing back on the ground next to the fallen Xellos.

"...Lina..."

The redhead turned her head, looking over to who was calling her. "...Filia!"

"Quickly Lina," interrupted Sylphiel, " She's awake..."

The group of them scattered over to the fallen golden dragon. Sylphiel was in the middle of chanting a healing spell, the rosy color was slowly returning to the dragon's face.

Filia's eyes open for just a second as a slight smile came over her face. "I think I see you now..."

Sylphiel turned to the redhead, comforting the dragon's head in her lap. "She's been through a lot, so please give her a second to readjust."

"Yes...I have." Filia struggled for a second with her words. "You know why I couldn't tell you, Lina..."

"I think so," nodded the sorcerer. "You could have dropped us a hint..."

The dragon frowned. "No, you really don't understand Lina, the Cloudminders..."

As a snap of the fingers, the dragon's eyes grew wide. "Run!"

"Run? Wha...what the..."

"Run away from here, as quickly as possible! Do it now!"

"Filia!"

But the blond pulled Lina's arm away, curling back into a slight fetal position like a small child. She was utterly terrified, as if hiding from something very dangerous.

The air grew sticky as Lina felt a tingle across the back of her neck. Power. Ego.

"You feel that?" asked the chimera.

"Yea..." said the sorcerer, looking around at the other confused members of the group. "More company."

The stranger's voice boomed from everywhere. "You failed, Filia Ul Coup. You are unworthy of your title, Dragon."

"No, don't do this." Her voice was weakened and dry. "I tried my best."

"You carry the mark of a Shrine dragon. Do you not deny your own self preservation?"

"Please!"

"Just like the Mazoku, you have become a traitor."

Lina circled around an invisible half circle with the chimera on her side. Behind them, Sylphiel read the rest of them as the other two didn't know what was happening. Whatever it was, there was something stirring in the air as a gust drift up from nowhere.

White light hit them for a second, then they noticed the sun had been blocked out by a tree. No, not a tree, but a person, male, easily twice their height. His face was square, his blond hair slicked black into a ponytail, matching the smoothness of his beard and sideburns. His red leather robes that flowed of heavy fabric were accented with tufts of white fir and spiked points of gold. Across his chest he wore a gigantic white fur-lined strap, encrusted in white and red diamonds. The strap was part of a holder for a gigantic sword that he wore over his head, easily as long as Lina's height.

Lina looked up and could only stare at the fire in his eyes. Iris as white as snow, pupils as red as fire itself.

Amelia fell down to the ground.

Lina and the new stranger stared at each other for an eternity. The silence was finally broken by the stranger himself. "Meddlesome...humans..."

Lina stayed focused. "Filia's master, I presume."

Zel did a double-take. "The fire dragon king."

"You are correct." He unleashed his massive blade, pointing it towards the party. "You do yourself great honor to have perished from the power of Lord Vrabazard. May the mother of all chaos have mercy upon your soul."

---o--o--o---

Author You... saw him?

Zelas Yea, we sort of...dated

Author I guess before the war of the Mazoku fall...

Zelas I was really into those red eyes. I still can't believe I fell for him

Author So...I don't see any little underlings...then how did you two break up?

Zelas SMACK

Author (winces in pain) Next time on the show, when Mazoku get some!

Zelas SMACK


End file.
